The Price of a Prince
by Imagination Central
Summary: The Uzumaki's enjoy living their life of luxury and calm; they've had enough drama in their life. But when Minato brings home two men who served as former slaves, their lives change drastically. It's up to them, however, to decide if the Uchiha's arrival is good, or bad. Yaoi, lemons, boyxboy, and language ahead!
1. Chapter 1

**AN: New story! New story! New story! To those of you who have read my previous work, you probably are thinking something along the lines of "WTF WHY IS SHE ADDING ANOTHER STORY TO HER PILE?" Well the answer is simple: I have an ADHD mind, so I can't just have one main story. Gawsh. I'm just finishing up Green-Eyed Monster *tear* so I decided to start a NEW STORY :D! This is mainly just a prologue type thing. Kind of a starter, to get you familiar with their personalities. I did make Naruto a little more mature, just because the context of the story is kind of hard to incorporate a fun, endearingly dumb personality into. BUT ENOUGH BLATHER. ON WITH THE STORY! TOUCH YOUR EYES AND READ ON!**

**Disclaimer: **I. Do. Not. Own. Naruto. But I would kindly appreciate it for Christmas. Maybe not even Naruto. What about Kiba? Kiba I would take. *slips Gaara behind back*

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Naruto leaned back in his leather chair, kicking his feet out in front of him. It was a nice, quiet afternoon. One filled with relaxing oceanic sounds and numerous cat naps. Slouching further in his seat, Naruto closed his tired eyes, happy that his brother had finally come home from across seas. He had been traveling the world, a wild, adventurous person at heart. He had returned just yesterday, with a new attitude and longer hair. That was about all Naruto could sum up in the twenty four hours Kyuubi had been home. Naruto wasn't sure how to feel about the new arrival.

There was a flick to his head, and Naruto looked up, grinning. Kyuubi was smiling down at him, his red eyes – due to stage contacts – staring lovingly down at the blonde. His read hair was pulled back in a low pony tail, his chin sporting a five o'clock shadow.

"Hey, Kit. Lazy as ever, I see."

Naruto rolled his eyes at his brother, sliding up in his chair before standing up completely, rising to match Kyuubi's height of 6'2. Needless to say, he had grown since his brother had last seen him. Raising his eyebrows, the redhead smiled, conking Naruto on the side of the head before he walked sank down into yet another piece of furniture expertly arranged around their living room. The Uzumaki's lived a fine life of luxury, one that Minato had proudly given them. Sticking his hand out in front of his face, Kyuubi gazed at his nails for a second before showing them to Naruto. They were painted black, each nail perfectly filled in. Snorting, Naruto shoved his brother out of the way.  
"When did you get so gay?"

"I think it probably was around my second or third sex adventure with a man. Maybe my fourth. I think I blamed the alcohol for a while." Kyuubi shrugged, following his younger brother into their overtly large kitchen, where their beloved cook, so artfully nicknamed 'Cook' stood, preparing dinner.

"That's gross, Kyuubi. I don't want to hear about that."

"Then don't ask those questions, Kit!"

"Shut up, both of you!" Cook snapped; her gray hair curled up in its bun bouncing furiously as she waved her soup-covered spoon at them. "It was so quite without you here, Kyuubi. And you, Naruto! Shut up! Just be quiet!"

Naruto smiled charmingly at Cook, who softened her scowl but whacked him on the head anyways. Laughing, Naruto looked over to Kyuubi, who had his hands splayed out on the granite of the counter, his red hair escaping its pony tail and falling slightly into his eyes.

"Naruto, I know I've come to terms on my sexuality, but have you?"

Startled, the blonde looked up at his brother, his face dead serious.

"Yes. I'm straight as an arrow." He replied slowly, as if talking to a child. Kyuubi let out a growl of frustration.

"I'm not a fucking kid, you dumbass. I was just checking. I haven't seen you in about two years, so lots of stuff can change. Hell, take a look at me. Two years ago all I wore were baggy sweatshirts and jeans. Now I'm wearing black latex and a tight red t-shirt."

Naruto glanced down at his brother, taking him all in. He had a certain appearance of 'either sex'. He looked casual and putting it simply; _cool_. Naruto sighed, biting his lip. Kyuubi always knew how to do things. And how to do them well. Naruto never seemed to do anything well. There was a loud banging on the door, and Naruto turned around in confusion, Kyuubi doing the same. As they watched, their father burst in from their front porch, his shock of blonde hair tumbling through the doorway. He whispered something outside quickly before walking up and greeting his sons with a hearty pat on the back. He wrapped his arm around Cook, who snorted at him.  
"Boys, I, ah, have a surprise for you. And Cook, too." The old lady looked up at this, interest in her tired brown eyes. Minato smiled kindly at her before he took a couple backwards steps towards the door, his movements gentle and soft, as if he were to scare off a wild animal at any given moment. Finally reaching his destination, Minato gestured softly for whatever, or whomever, was outside to come in. Seconds later, two young men filed into their grand mansion.

Naruto's first reaction was that Minato was pulling a prank on them. He didn't do it often, but when his father joked, he went to the extreme. But then he noticed the condition of the men. One was slightly taller than the other, with long, matted hair that was hastily pulled into a ponytail, a few jagged strands escaping. He had two lines running down from his eyes, marking his dirtied face. He was wearing rags for clothing, as was the other man. Slightly shorter, the boy had the same, dark, midnight hair as the first, their face structures starkly similar. The second boy was also dirty, although his hair was shorter than the first, it hung around his face in greasy clumps. There were scratches marking the expanses of pale skin that were bare, and they had no shoes. But despite all of this, the thing that gave Naruto chills to his very core was the fact that they were wearing chains. Much like animals, they both had black collars encircling their necks; metal leashes cut unevenly in the middle from what Naruto assumed had been from a tool to cut them loose.

He heard a chair scrap roughly against the polished wood behind him, and then heard Kyuubi say, "What is this?"

Minato glanced over at the pitiful picture, the portrayal of mankind beaten down to nothing. Naruto's stomach rolled.

"You two both know about the slave business, I'm sure."

Naruto nodded. It was a sickening pastime that wealthy people indulged in for the fun of it, like these people were prizes, materialistic things to flaunt. The poor souls who often ended up in the positions of slavery were people who thought they had no hope left. Sometimes parents would give their children away for money when they hit rock bottom. Other times people, mainly people ten through twenty eight, were stolen from their homes and kidnapped into the industry. Many times, however, people with nothing else to live for wound up serving others for no pay at all. Naruto was disgusted with it, just like his father and brother.

"These two young men were forced into slavery when their parents ran out of money. They were sold into an abusive owner. He finally put them back up on the market when he was fed up with their resistance. I was passing by the auction when I spotted them…" Minato trailed off, closing his eyes for a second and Naruto knew what kind of pain he was experiencing again. The memories attacked his mind swiftly and fiercely, but he pushed them quickly back down before they could get control of him. Taking a deep breath, Minato labored on, "I couldn't let them _die_. I…" Shaking his head, Minato gently touched the younger one's shoulder. "So I took them in."

Naruto released a gust of air, taking in the men with sympathetic eyes.

"Well, let's clean them up, why don't we?" Naruto insisted, stepping forward to take the smaller boy's hand. He looked up, surprised, and Naruto bit his lip. He was beautiful. Wait. No. He was a guy. He was _not_ beautiful. Minato nodded gratefully, sinking onto the counter's barstool. Kyuubi walked gently over to the older man, and Naruto and Kyuubi split up, Naruto taking the upstairs bathroom, Kyuubi taking the main level.

Guiding the wounded man up the stairs, Naruto led him carefully into the gleaming bathroom, setting him down on the toilet while turning the warm water on. He heard a low whimper and looked over. The boy was cradling his arm, where a long, jagged gash decorated his skin. Shoving down a wince, Naruto bent down beside the boy, trying to look him in his dark eyes.

"I'm going to ask you to get into the bathtub, okay? I won't try anything funny, I won't even try to touch you, all that I'm asking is that you take off your clothes and slide into the water. I'll even turn away when you take your clothes off." Naruto said soothingly, and the boy turned to look at him.

He remained silent, his dark eyes flickering over Naruto's face slowly. He inhaled softly, then nodded, standing up. He was unmoving in his silence, but Naruto turned around, listening as the raggedy pieces of fabric fell to the ground. Then there was the sound of splashing water, and, following, a small sigh. Running his hands nervously over his jeans, Naruto peeked over his shoulder.

The brunette's body was hidden under a layer of soapy bubbles, but his relaxed face was clearly visible. His body was slouched in the tub, his tense body posture before melting away seamlessly. His eyes fluttered closed and before Naruto could say or do anything, the boy was asleep.

oOo

Kyuubi stared at the tall man, slightly shorter than him, trying to decide how to approach things. The man had collapsed instantly once Kyuubi had placed him on the counter, dead to the world. But not dead dead. Just asleep. At first, the redhead had thought that the raven-haired man truly had died. He had frantically checked his pulse, and found it, to his relief, beating softly against the skin of the boy's neck. Much like a butterfly's wings. Leaning against the counter, Kyuubi took his selfish time to examine the fine specimen of man in front of him, even in the poor state he was in. In some sick, sadistic way that worried him more than he would admit, Kyuubi was almost _glad_ they had these boys in their possession.

Shaking his head as if to clear himself of the disturbing thoughts, Kyuubi turned on the bathwater, closing the tub's drain so it would fill with warm water. As he prepared the bath – pouring in the bubble mixture – Kyuubi skillfully kept his eyes from straying to the broken down man behind him. Questions buzzed through his head like bees on coffee, flicking from one subject to another. _What was his name? Why did his parents give him up? How old is he? Was that his brother down there? How badly did his owner hurt him? Was he sexually harassed? Was he gay? _Kyuubi quickly glanced behind him, as if his thoughts were audible.

Biting his lip, the redhead finally walked over to the brunette, delicately sliding him to the floor. Hesitantly he touched the fabric of the rags he wore, afraid that if the man were to wake up, he would assume the worst. Deciding that it was absolutely necessary to get him cleaned, Kyuubi finally managed to drudge up the courage to pull what measly clothing covered the former slave. Tossing it to the side, Kyuubi tried in vain to keep his eyes from wandering over the man's now exposed body, but found he could not help himself. Allowing but one glance, Kyuubi's heart stopped not because of the beauty, but the horror he saw. Jagged, harsh cuts crisscrossed the raven's chest, marring his perfect skin. In some places there were clean, crisp cuts, leading Kyuubi to believe that he had been sliced with a knife. Shuddering and turning away, Kyuubi quickly lowered the man into the soothingly warm water, soon after turning off the faucet when the water rose.

Unable to help himself, Kyuubi took the pony tail out of the man's hair, letting it fall out of its binds. As half of it sank into the water, the tangles loosened, and Kyuubi softly smoothed them out, watching as the dark, midnight locks floated like seaweed through the midst of the bubbly bath. Sighing and leaning against the side of the tub, Kyuubi silently wondered how Naruto was fairing. Then he paused to think about what their lives would be like now, with two new, not to mention extremely attractive, members of the manor. He figured, at least, things would be dramatically different.

oOo

Minato sat in the kitchen with Cook, his head in his hands as the weight of the situation he had brought upon his family firmly rested on his shoulders. He had just brought in two strangers from a slave auction, without any background information other than they had been previously abused. He hadn't been thinking about his boys' at the time. He had been thinking of something else. Turning back to his valued friend, Minato ran his hands over his face.

"Cook, how do we know that these boys' aren't violent? For all we know they could have been mentally scarred by their previous owner… They could act out, or…" He trailed off when Cook gave him a look, abandoning her soup to sit down across from him. This was serious. Cook never left her food.

"Minato. You just saved those two young men's lives. You should feel like a saint. You just brought them into your home, lavish, might I add, for _free_. You aren't forcing them to cater to your every need, to bow down to you, you're asking them to _live peacefully_. And after the life they just had, I think they are going to readily accept it. And if not," Cook stopped for a moment, smiling mischievously at Minato. "Well, your boys' are tough. They'll figure it out."

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**AN: OK, first chapter. I hoped you guys liked it :D! I already have the skeleton down for the second chapter, but I warn you: I'm stupid enough to juggle three other stories right now. Anyways, thank you for reading, and if you want, leave a review :D I love 'em. Much love,**

**-IC**


	2. Chapter 2

**AN: **Hey guys! I'm sorry about the wait, I've just been kind of busy with my other stories. I haven't been able to complete a chapter however, except for this one. SO. I hope you goaties enjoy this chapter, and I also want to warn you before hand that the characters may seem OOC, and I won't argue you on that. They probably do. BUT. I want to try and fit them into this world as much as possible, so it is what it is. Thanks for your support of the first chapter, by the way! Love it :D

**Disclaimer: **Wish I may, wish I might...

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Naruto rubbed the back of his head as he watched the passed out man in his bathtub, covered only by sudsy bubbles that would soon disperse with time. The thought made Naruto's insides rise a couple degrees. The brunette stirred in his bubble bed, his eyes fluttering as he sunk lower into the water, his mouth dipping dangerously close to the water level. Naruto leaned forward to pull his head back into safety, just as the raven-haired boy inhaled water.

There was a sudden loud splash and a cough, and Naruto was pulled into the warm liquid, the sound of harsh coughing filling the air. Closing his eyes as he went under, Naruto felt something firm but smooth brush his cheek before he brought his head back up, spluttering as he broke the surface of the water. Blinking as droplets fell into his eyes, Naruto shook his hair out, acutely aware of the calloused, wet hand gripping his shirt. The former slave was breathing hard, his eyes wide and glazed. Naruto tried to pull back slowly but the grip on his clothes only tightened.

"Hey," He called softly, and the man turned to look at him, snapping out of his reverie. "You're ok. You're safe."

"Where's Itachi?"  
Naruto started. He hadn't expected the pale-skinned raven to speak. His voice, though coarse and rough, was deep and relaxing, carrying an almost peaceful feel to it.

"Itachi?"

"The one who was with me."

"Oh. He's upstairs with my brother."

"I need to see him."

"You can see him af-"

"No, you don't understand," He began, desperation in his voice, starting to climb out of the bathtub. Naruto looked away with a blush. "I need to… To see him… I need to see him. Please," His voice broke on the 'pl'

Running his hand over his face, Naruto nodded slowly. "Just wait here, then. I'll go get you some clothes."

oOo

Kyuubi stared at the man who was slumped pitifully on the bathroom counter, the only thing keeping him decent a fluffy white towel Kyuubi had thrown over him in some respect for his privacy. The dark haired man was mumbling something incoherent, and Kyuubi leaned forward, trying to catch the small noises coming from his mouth and shape them into words.

"Sasuke… I… ne-" The raven broke off with a whimper as he laid his head back down on the granite counter top.

"What? Who's Sasuke?" Kyuubi asked as gently as possible, fighting down the pinch of jealously that worried at his stomach.

"H-he… Came with me." The man answered weakly, opening his eyes to look at the redhead. They were gorgeous eyes, not black, not brown, but a dark gray color, fringed by midnight lashes, putting all others to shame. Kyuubi stared intently at them, wondering what would happen if he leaned down and planted a kiss on the man's invitingly plump lips. He reined himself in, however, and slipped his hand instead under the raven's arm, supporting him as he escorted him towards the door.

"Mind sharing your name?" Kyuubi asked as he threw open the wooden door, trying to ignore the way the soft feel of the man's skin sent shivers arcing along his body.

"I-Ita…chi."

"Itachi?"

There was a feeble nod in response, and Kyuubi felt a pang of guilt resonate in his gut for making the man work so hard.

"Well, I'll tell you what Itachi," the redhead started, ushering the brunette towards their guest bedroom. "You're gonna take a nice, long, _deep_ nap. And then next thing you know, you'll be waking, right as rain, next to Sasuke. How does that sound?"

Itachi's eyes flicked over to Kyuubi, sparkling surprisingly with slight amusement. Kyuubi smiled brightly back at Itachi. They walked a couple more steps, their feet sinking into the soft carpet, before Kyuubi had to undergo the task of holding a full grown – though underfed – man and twisting a doorknob at the same time. Grunting, Kyuubi narrowed his eyes in frustration as his fingers kept slipping off the shiny surface. Finally gaining purchase with the drier pads of his fingers, Kyuubi triumphantly pushed the troublesome door aside, gently leading Itachi to the queen sized bed. It was completed with a soft, creamy colored bedspread, the pillows cased in black, the two bedside tables finished with sleek new lamps.

Gently placing Itachi down onto the feather-soft surface, Kyuubi quickly exchanged the fluffy towel for even fluffier blankets, all while keeping his eyes closed. There was a soft mewl that had Kyuubi yearning desperately to crawl into bed with Itachi and wrap him up in his arms. Biting his lip and turning away, Kyuubi frowned at himself. He wasn't used to being this drawn to men. He'd only ever felt this pull one other time, and that was with a fellow redhead across the seas. Swallowing his want, Kyuubi turned back towards the sickly raven.

"When you wake up, you'll see Sasuke. I promise you. But now you have to sleep. I'll have Cook whip up some stew and bread. But sleep now. You won't have to worry about drowning in a bathtub." Kyuubi sent him a smile, which was returned with a fluttering of eyelids as the man fell asleep on him. Again.

oOo

Naruto rummaged through his clothes, pawing past useless garments that wouldn't even fit the raven haired boy. He could say that he didn't understand the boy's desperation to see his companion, but then he would be lying. If he himself were in that same situation, he'd be out of his mind to know what happened to the only familiar person in the strange new world. Naruto blinked and felt sympathy wash over him like the new tide, erasing his former feelings in the sand and replacing him with the vacant feel of loss. Swallowing, the blonde bent his head forward and dug to the bottom of his drawer, pulling out a smaller shirt of his. It would still probably hang loose on him, but it would do. Grabbing a pair of comfy black sweats, Naruto returned to the steamy bathroom. Only to find the boy gone. Dropping his clothes, Naruto darted to the closed shower, fear a hard rock in his stomach. Throwing back the curtains, he let out a gust of relief when the only thing he saw in the murky water was bubbles. At least he hadn't drowned in the bathtub. Turning and darting out of the bathroom, Naruto cursed himself for leaving the boy alone. His dread curled like a snake inside of him as he thought of the stairs. The raven could hardly make it up them with Naruto's help. How could he make it down alone?

Naruto made his way towards the stairs, eyes darting along the walls and into the darkness of open rooms as he went. Finally reaching his destination, Naruto peered over the edge of the stairs, and his breath hissed between his teeth when he saw a slumped form on the middle stair. Crawling slowly down next to the fallen figure, guilt bloomed like a new flower in the springtime, slowly increasing until it was imbedded into his atoms. If he was dead… Naruto's hands groped for the boy's pale wrist, his fingers searching for a pulse. A couple tense, rigid beats later, he found one, fluttering against his finger steadily. Then the raven's head turned to look at him with questioning eyes, a small hint of a smirk playing at his features. Naruto's eyes narrowed.

"You almost gave me a heart attack! Why the hell would you walk out of the bathroom when you knew you weren't well? That scared the shit out of me!" Naruto exclaimed, his eyes roving over the other's face quickly, and he blushed when he saw the genuine confusion in the brunette's gaze. He didn't know why he had been so worried about the boy, but he was. And damn it all! He knew what he was doing, too.

"Relax," the voice was velvety and smooth, and has lost previous scratchy undertone it possessed earlier. Naruto looked back up at the boy, and nodded. Then felt absurd. _He _should be the one to comfort the brunette, not the brunette comforting him.

"Come on, let's get some clothes on…" Naruto trailed off as he realized that the raven was not adorning any sort of clothing, and the towel Naruto had thrown at him earlier was nowhere to be seen. A dark, murderous blush attacked his face, crawled down his neck, and made him feel like he was on fire, slowly burning of embarrassment. Turning away, Naruto offered his hand to the pale boy, palm facing the ceiling, his fingers twitching as he tried to hold them still. Then there was a sudden warmth filling his hand and Naruto closed his hand around it, leading him up what was left of the stairs, and depositing him at the ground. Striding towards the bathroom, Naruto elbowed the door open and bent low to scoop up the fallen clothes. He then reached over and unplugged the drain from the porcelain tub, listening to the gurgling sounds it made before turning off the light and walking back to the raven.

Squatting down next to the boy, Naruto offered the clothes awkwardly, averting his eyes as he fought for control. He'd been in locker rooms plenty of times, seen probably a bit _too_ many other men's manhood, yet here he was, blushing like a schoolgirl at just the thought of this boy's uncovered _body_, much less his junk.

"So, Itachi, the guy you were talking about. He's downstairs, on the main floor." Naruto explained to the wall as the boy got dressed. He could hear the rustle of fabric and could already tell his clothes were too big. "I'll bring you down there… But you might want some stew first. I think you can handle that, right?" Naruto tapped his finger against his thigh as he waited for the fabric to stop moving. When it did, Naruto hesitantly turned around. And bit back a smile. The clothes he had picked were small on him, but on the raven, they hung around his frame like he had decided he wanted to go as a garbage bag for Halloween. His shirt, which was a thin white fabric, hung down to his mid-thigh, and the black sweatpants pooled around his feet awkwardly. They still kept him covered and decent though, so Naruto wasn't complaining.

"I think that should w-work," the boy replied slowly, furrowing his brow in concentration as he talked. Naruto nodded, giving him his most cheerful smile, then picked him up bridal style and walked down the stairs. At first it was very difficult to haul the boy down the steps, due to his flailing, but after a couple seconds, he lost the energy and instead let his head fall against the crook of Naruto's neck. The blonde resisted the urge to pull away, and instead kept his eyes on his feet, careful not to miss any steps. He knew this probably hadn't been the best idea, but he wasn't ready to test his patience helping the raven down the stairs. Reaching the landing, Naruto continued to carry the raven down the stairs and to the kitchen, which was already filled with the spicy, peppery aroma of Cook's stew. Naruto saw Kyuubi leaning against the wall, his eyes glazed as he thought about something.

"Eh, Kyuubi. Pull out this chair for me," Naruto said, and Kyuubi looked up, and a small smirk appeared on his face as he took in the scene. But he obliged anyway, walking over at pulling out the dining chair. As Naruto set the boy down in the furniture, Kyuubi sent him a devilish wink. Naruto glared at him. Then he turned to where Cook was standing, walking up next to her. She was stirring the stew around in a pot, and when he walked over she shooed him.

"Don't get your man cooties in here, boy. This is supposed to fix these poor souls right up, but I can't work my magic with you and your cooties!" Naruto grinned and then pulled out a chair next to the raven, and Kyuubi followed suit, except his chair was directly across from Naruto.

"Where's Itachi?" Naruto asked, and the boy next to him perked up at the mention of the name. Kyuubi sent him a confused glance.

"How do you know his name?"

Naruto gestured to the raven next to him. "He told me. So where is he?"

Kyuubi nodded and ran his tongue over his lips before responding. "He was pretty messed up. So I got him cleaned up and put him to bed in our guest room." Kyuubi directed his attention to the raven.

"Are you Sasuke?" He asked, and the pale boy nodded. Naruto found the new fact strangely compelling. It made the whole experience seem more real, knowing their names. It made it seem personal. Naruto jumped alongside Sasuke when Cook slammed a heady bowl of steaming stew in front of the raven, her brown eyes intense.

"You will eat every single morsel of that. You hear?" She asked, and Sasuke looked up at her with big, black eyes. Cook shook her head at him. "No puppy dog eyes. You need to eat. You're nothing but skin and bones."

Naruto hid his smile, amused at how Cook was treating Sasuke. It must have been slightly refreshing from how he had been treating him, and Naruto was glad that Cook was around. He didn't know what he'd do without her. Sasuke nodded slowly, then started to spoon the meal into his mouth. He closed his eyes and moaned, and Naruto instantly stopped smiling. Instead he focused on cooling his steaming blood. The sound of the low moan, even if it was because of delicious food, set his body aflame. He glanced over at Kyuubi, who was smirking at Naruto, even though his eyes were showing signs of desire. Sasuke continued on, only slightly aware of his surroundings as he plowed into the meal.

Naruto watched him with horribly veiled interest. He had never seen someone eat so fast, so violently fast, and make it look _graceful_. As he watched, Sasuke finally finished off the bowl, licking his lips. He offered the bowl to Cook, who had stood watching him the whole time. She smiled as she took it from him, a knowing glint in her eyes. Naruto frowned as he watched her, then watched a Sasuke's eyes grew heavier and heavier, his lids slipping lower and lower until they were closed all the way. His head fell forward, but Naruto caught it with his hand and laid it gently on the table. Sasuke's mouth opened slightly as he fell into what looked like a drugged slumber.

"Cook," Naruto started, and she glanced over at him. "Did you drug that stew?"

She held her hand to her heart, as if she were insulted. "I did no such thing! That boy was tired, that's all. A full belly tends to make one tired." She smiled sweetly, and Naruto knew she was lying. Rolling his eyes, he scooped up the limp Sasuke in his arms. Kyuubi got up too, following him out of the kitchen and to the guest bedroom. Kyuubi helpfully pulled back the covers of the bed, and Naruto slipped Sasuke into them, right next to Itachi. Sasuke's hand fell uselessly to his sides, and Naruto tucked them in, pulling the covers over his body. Standing up and backing away, Naruto saw Kyuubi's eyes latch onto Itachi and hold there steady, a storm of desire and possessiveness bright in his eyes. Naruto placed a hand on his shoulder and shook him, causing his brother to flinch and look back at him. Naruto flicked his head towards the door in silent command, and Kyuubi nodded. Walking out of the room and quietly shutting the door, Naruto elbowed Kyuubi in the ribs.

"Don't go there, Red-Eyes." He said lightly, but he knew his brother picked up on his meaning. Kyuubi ran a hand through his hair, successfully pulling it out of its low ponytail. He cast a glance at Naruto, who was raising his eyebrows.

"I know, I know. It's just… Aw, hell, Naruto. I can't help it. He's so damn hot! And he talked to me. God, his voice… It's like melted chocolate. How can I not want him?" Kyuubi walked into their living room, banging his head against the wall. Naruto watched him in amusement before he answered.

"I don't know, Kyuubi. But I do know that it's not the best idea to get too involved with him. You don't know if Dad plans to keep them or not. Plus, in their emotional state, I think all they really want right now is each other."

The redhead turned to look at Naruto with desperation. "You're right. You're totally right. Space is key here. Space is key. It'll be fine. We'll be right as rain."

And even Cook, in the other room, could hear the lack of conviction in the man's voice.


	3. Chapter 3

**AN: Wowzas! I love you guys! You know how to make me blush up a storm :P But seriously, your reviews always make my day, and I also love to hear all your great ideas (for realzies). I just wanted to thank you guys for making this so much fun to write already :D By the way, this is a little shoutout to the people who are following multiple stories of mine (You and I both know who you are). You legit make me feel like I've actually got fans. AHHH. And there is a little dolphin thing in here, but I've got this thing called a sibling who sat next to me the whole time I wrote this demanding I included a dolphin into this story. I caved, and so here it is. I think I made it work, but hey. You never know. ANYWHO. Sorry for the long AN, I JUST LOVE YOU. Heheh. Enjoy!**

**Disclaimer: EVERYTHING IS MINE. EVERYTHING. I OWN IT ALL. I MAKE ALL SORTS OF PROFITS! **

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Naruto had returned to the kitchen, and now he sat, twirling a rectangle of chocolate in his fingers. Cook had finally left the kitchen – a rarity in the manor – and had left Naruto to his own thoughts. Kyuubi, after he had been rejected by Naruto, had left the mansion in a huff and a sour mood had been left in his wake. Naruto sighed and dropped the chocolate, placing his head on the table. He wasn't sure what to think about the situation that had fallen into his hands, now an unwelcome friend resting heavily on his shoulders. He wanted to help these people; he really did. He felt that if he helped them, if his whole family helped them, that they would be mending the hole that had been staring them in the eyes for two years.

Closing his eyes and pushing his thoughts off a cliff in his mind, Naruto stood up and grabbed the square of chocolate. He tossed it around in his palms for a bit, his blonde eyebrows furrowing as he thought of Kyuubi's words. _His voice is like melted chocolate_. Kyuubi was known to be a bit drastic when it came to his love life, a little all over the place, but he had never 'fallen' for someone so quickly. The blonde wasn't sure what to make of it all. He threw the chocolate in the garbage before he let his mind think things over any longer. He wasn't good at coming to conclusions. That's what Minato was for.

Walking into the living room, Naruto ran his hands through his hair as he thought of things to do. Kyuubi was gone, probably off hooking up with someone else, Cook was most likely in her room reading, Minato was definitely in his office, and the two most interesting people in the manor were currently passed out cold in their guest room. An idea presented itself suddenly in his head, and the Uzumaki allowed himself to consider it before scoffing at the idea. He'd taken up drawing a couple of years before, as a way of venting. He hadn't drawn in probably a year or so, so why did he feel the urge to get out a pencil and attack the paper now?

But even as he walked over to the TV and turned it on, the need to draw whispered at the edges of his mind, trickling in like slow poison. Soon it was all he could think about, and he balled his hands in frustration before standing up and trotting down the stairs, flipping on lights as he went. Reaching the destination of the room, Naruto clicked the light on and filed into the space, looking around. It felt old and unused, even though everything was about two years new. He felt like he shouldn't even be in here. Creeping slowly into the art room, he walked past an unfinished painting that would never be finished and crept into the closet, pulling out a sketch pad and quickly scuffling out.

Once freed of the confinements of crushing memories, Naruto returned to the main floor and sat down in the middle of the living room. Crossing his legs he placed the sketch pad in front of him, flipping it open. Tapping the eraser of the pencil he had snatched from a kitchen drawer against his chin, Naruto thought about what to draw. This was useless, though. He already knew what he was going to draw. It had been imprinted in his mind for about fifteen minutes. It was Sasuke. Ever since he had turned to look at Naruto on the stairs, his eyes so open and innocent, Naruto's fingers had been itching for a pencil and paper. He wanted to transfer those beautiful features onto paper, trapping him forever in that moment. Naruto let out a frustrated growl. Why did he have such an infatuation with him? He hadn't even met him more than three hours ago. Giving in to his growing need, Naruto put the led onto the paper and started to draw the gentle curve of Sasuke's face. Letting go, Naruto slipped into a world where he knew only pencil and paper. Time came and went with each stroke. Naruto became familiar with the lines and contours of Sasuke's face by just drawing him from memory, rolling his features over again and again in his mind until they were worn like a worry stone.

Naruto watched as Sasuke came to life before his eyes. There were soft footsteps behind him, but Naruto paid the sound no mind, assuming it was Cook.

"You are drawing my brother,"

Naruto jumped and dropped his pencil, where it fell to the floor without a sound. Turning around, Naruto's eyes met Itachi's dark gray ones. They were lacking the ferocity that the blonde assumed would be there. Instead, they were filled only with curiosity and a slight shine of pain. He walked closer to the picture, looking over the Uzumaki's shoulder.

"It's very accurate, seeing as you've only known him for about three hours. Are you planning on going into the arts?"

Naruto opened his mouth, then closed it, unsure of what to say. He sat back and let Itachi look at the drawing for a little longer before he responded. A light blush coating his cheeks, Naruto looked away as he answered.

"No, it's, ah, more of a hobby. I haven't drawn in years. I guess you guys inspired me."

Itachi smiled gently down at him. "More like my brother. But really, this is magnificent. Are you self-taught?"

Naruto glanced back at the older raven, admiring his acceptance of the fact that a stranger had been drawing his brother. Sitting up, Naruto passed him the sketch pad so he could take a closer look.

"No, not self-taught. Someone close to me taught me. But are you feeling ok?" Naruto stood all the way up, walking into the kitchen as he waited for Itachi's answer. Pulling out a bowl, he poured some lukewarm stew into it and set it on the table, leaning around the door to watch as Itachi traced his finger over the face of his brother. So they were brothers. Kyuubi would be happy with this new information. Naruto wasn't so sure how he felt about that. He dismissed the thought before he could think about it any longer.

"Hey, I've got some stew in here for you. You should eat it, you know, so you don't die and everything." Naruto called with a grin.

Itachi looked up and smiled back at him, and then mimicked slitting his throat. Naruto couldn't help but chuckle, even though the display was gruesome and rather disturbing. He was happy to see that in the short amount of time that the two had been there, they were recovered enough to joke around, even if it was sort of sick and twisted.

The sickly man set the sketch pad down gently and stood slowly, his face contorting in pain. Naruto rushed over to him, slipping his hands under his arms to support him as he walked. Ushering him over to the kitchen table, Naruto pulled out a chair and Itachi gratefully sunk into it, letting out a soft sigh.

"You really are a blessing," Itachi said as the blonde placed the food in front of him. "Without you and your brother, or your father… Sasuke and I would have died. I just…" Itachi broke off with a harsh cough and Naruto fluttered around him nervously, not knowing what to do. When the brunette finally calmed down, he closed his eyes and placed his head on the table.

"You want some water?"

He nodded slowly, his head barely moving. Naruto scrambled for a cup, filling it with life sustaining liquid, then handed it over to a quivering Itachi.

"Thank you," Itachi whispered softly, his fingers shaking as he took the cup. Naruto placed his fingers at the bottom of the cup, supporting it as Itachi greedily drank from it. He removed his digits as the raven placed the cup down and started in on his stew. Naruto felt compelled to give him his privacy, to let him cope on his own, but he had learned his lesson after leaving Sasuke alone. Pulling out a chair, Naruto sat down backwards and placed his hands nervously on the table.

"You drugged my brother, right? He's not lying there in his own pool of drool dead?" Itachi asked with a tiny sliver of amusement showing in his voice. Naruto nodded with a small smile, watching as Itachi struggled to lift the spoon to his lips. Viewing him made him feel as if he had eels slithering around in his shins, ants crawling along his skin. He got like this every time he saw a sickly person. Itachi was quite worse off than Sasuke had been, and by the way his voice warmed when he said Sasuke's name, Naruto assumed Itachi had taken the brunt of most of the punishment given to them in their previous home. Naruto felt his lungs tighten up and he quickly looked down, then forced himself to look back up. He would not treat them differently. They wouldn't be able to heal that way.

"So, how old are you?"

Itachi seemed thoroughly amused by this question, and he set his spoon in the bowl before looking back up.

"I'm twenty two. But I don't care to bask in such frivolous questions."

Naruto rolled his eyes upward then returned them to Itachi's face. It was still slashed up pretty bad, but the previous ooze that had been slipping out of it was nowhere to be seen.

"How about this, then. What's your favorite animal?"

Itachi snorted and returned his head back to the table, as if he couldn't stand the weight of his own brain. He probably couldn't.

"Oh, I suppose a dolphin."

Naruto's interest peaked at this information, and he allowed his hand the liberty of tracing the wooden patterns in the table.

"Any particular reason?"

"No, other than its Sasuke's favorite animal. I haven't ever bothered with those things."

The blonde hadn't thought it possible to increase the mystery with an answer, but it was. Now, for some strange reason, he found himself resisting the urge to go wake Sasuke from his drug-induced slumber to inquire him about his reasoning for having a dolphin be crowned his favorite animal. Instead he turned to Sasuke's brother and opened his mouth to fire another random question at him, when the front door burst open. Kyuubi walked in, in all his glory, and stopped cold at the sight of Naruto and Itachi sitting at the table. The older raven smiled slightly upon seeing him, lifting his hand is a mediocre wave. Kyuubi glanced at Naruto before wiggling his fingers back. He smelled suspiciously of smoke, which was strange, considering he didn't smoke.

"Hey, Red-Eyes, why do you smell like smoke?" Naruto questioned, a taunting smirk slipping onto his features. Kyuubi glanced over at him with a scowl.

"I may or may not have been at a bar, but I don't see how that's any of your business. Anyway, Itachi, where did you get those clothes?"

Naruto turned back to the brunette, who was looking down at his attire. He hadn't even noticed he was wearing Kyuubi's old clothes. Itachi looked up with a bemused expression.

"When I woke up, by the way I appreciate a man true to his word, I rummaged around in the drawers and found something to cover me up. Someone seemed to have forgotten the clothes aspect."

Kyuubi's face had a light pink hue that Naruto had never seen before. Kyuubi never blushed.

"Yeah, well you, ah, passed out on me. So I didn't want to undress you while you were sleeping."

"So you want to undress me while I'm awake?"

Kyuubi blushed harder and started to stutter. Naruto snickered in amusement as he watched Kyuubi struggle for an answer.

"How's the cut on your arm doing?" He finally asked, cleanly cutting the previous topic out of the conversation. Itachi looked a bit surprised, but lifted his arm nonetheless to check. Naruto sucked his lower lip into his mouth at what he saw. Itachi was sporting a horrible, cut that was too precise to be anything other than a knife wound. The skin surrounding the cut was red and swelling and there was a touch of white creeping into the red tone that his muscle was. Naruto heard Kyuubi let out a low huff of breath.

"Naruto, go get Cook. She'll know what to do until we can get an actual doctor here. Now."

Naruto slid out of his chair in a rush and tramped up the stairs, quickly finding Cook's door and pounding on it. He knew he was being a little more dramatic than necessary, but he felt urgency claw at him. Cook opened her door two pounds later, her eyes brewing with anger.

"You stupid boy! Why are you pounding on my door? I was reading!"

"You need to come look at Itachi's arm. I think it's getting infected."

Cook's pretend anger and perhaps real annoyance melted right off her instantly and she quickly followed Naruto down the stairs and to the kitchen, where Kyuubi was crouched next to Itachi, who was frowning softly.

Cook pushed past Naruto and Kyuubi, opening her hand. Itachi placed his hurt arm in her palm, and she winced when she saw it.

"This definitely is showing signs of growing infection, but it's not too serious yet. Naruto, go get me peroxide, Kyuubi get a rag. Itachi, get your big boy breeches out. This is going to hurt." Itachi's face paled considerably, but he did not pull his hand away. Instead, he appeared to get his big boy breeches out. His face set into a determined expression, and he nodded at Cook. Kyuubi looked pale too, his eyes locked firmly on Itachi. They then flicked back to Cook.

"There's not some other way we could do it?"

Cook sighed and shook her head, and Naruto set off the grab the peroxide. Returning, he found that Kyuubi had fetched the rag and now it was stuffed into Itachi's mouth. His stomach rolled and Naruto almost dropped the peroxide. He placed it on the table and cook took it, pouring some of the clear, bubbling liquid into the white cap. Kyuubi stood close to Itachi, his eyes wide, and Itachi had closed his eyes. Naruto expected Cook to count down, but she favored the element of surprise. Maybe it took away the pain. She dumped the cap onto the first section of the cut. Itachi screamed and his face contorted in pain, but the sound was muffled by the rag. He slammed his foot onto the ground, and his hand blindly groped for something to hold. Kyuubi was there, and he grasped Itachi's pale hand in his, wincing slightly at the force of Itachi's grip. Cook poured more peroxide into the cap and dumped it over the next section, and Itachi held back his scream, instead grunting loudly. The cut was bubbling and turning white, a sign he knew meant that it was clearing the infection.

Cook continued this painfully slow process until finally she was done with the whole wound. Itachi was panting by the end of it, and Naruto was fairly certain Kyuubi would suffer bruised hands, but he was glad that Itachi was infection free. Cook then dribbled a small line across the whole base of the cut, and Itachi winced but didn't make any sound, watching as small bubbles formed over the wound. Cook repeated this until no fizzy bubbles appeared. Pulling back, she placed a soft kiss onto Itachi's crown.  
"You're a brave boy. The hard parts over now. Kyuubi, can you go get the wrap?"

Kyuubi nodded and turned towards Itachi, who had calmed his breathing enough to breathe through his nose. Untangling his fingers from the raven's, he set off to get the bandages.

"After this, you need to sleep some more. I know, you want to work things out, stop being confused, but you're in good hands. These people are good. You need to get your health in check before you even think about confronting this situation." Itachi nodded at her, and she smiled gently at him.

Kyuubi returned with the material, and Cook took it from him, holding the end of it above the wound, then she began to wrap it. After a minute or so, it looked sizeable, and she stopped, cutting it off with scissors and securing it with tape. Standing up, she ruffled both of Naruto's and Kyuubi's hair before she set off back upstairs. Itachi looked worn out, and Naruto saw Kyuubi move a strand of hair out of Itachi's face. The elder raven's eyes fluttered and he looked drowsy. Kyuubi slipped his arms under Itachi's and led him back to his room, Naruto watching their departure through glazed eyes. Watching people fall asleep had made him realize that he was actually tired. Running his hands over his face, he made his way back towards their living room, sinking down next to his abandoned sketch pad, looking at Sasuke's face once before his eyes slid closed. As he slipped into a deep, soothing sleep, he touched the drawing with a weary finger. His dreams were filled with dolphins.


	4. Chapter 4

**AN: Hey guys. Sorry for the late update, I was super busy before, and then some things came up that I needed to take care of. I'll try to make my updates more frequent, but no promises :P So anyway, things you'll need to know about this chapter: I made the POV Sasuke and Itachi, and I figured I'll start switching them up now because it's more interesting that way AND there are secrets on both sides and I think you guys deserve to know SOME. Another thing, there was a great idea I got from a reviewer (you know you who are :D) And so I kind of incorporated it into the chapter, but watered it down a bit. SO. I hope you guys enjoy this, and thanks again for all the love and reviews! :) You guys rock. **

**POV: Sasuke and Itachi**

**Disclaimer: We all know the drill. **

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Sasuke opened his eyes to a tumble of black hair. Blinking it out of his lashes, he closed his eyes momentarily as the dull thumping of pain returned to him once more. Admittedly, it had decreased while at this new house, but it still beat into him hard enough to give him headaches just sitting. Groaning and turning away from Itachi's itchy hair, Sasuke pressed his head harder into the silken, feather-filled pillow that he had the blessing of being able to lay his head upon. The sheets, though made of silk, still scratched at his skin roughly as he flipped back his covers and debated building up the energy to actually climb up and out of bed. Sighing and pushing himself up, Sasuke tumbled from the bed and onto his feet. Pressing his hand against the wall, he made his way out of the room, albeit slowly, and to the treacherous stairs where the blonde had found him. He still had no recollection of his name, and that unnerved him more than he'd like to admit.

Sasuke leaned down and felt a slight flush in his cheeks as he was reminded of his childhood years, sliding down stairs on his butt. Gulping and sitting down, he bumped down the stairs one at a time, his face growing redder the farther he went. Finally reaching the bottom of the stairs, Sasuke blew his hair out of his face before standing again. The giant house confused him to no end, and he felt his stomach tighten as he realized he had no clue as to where he should go after the stairs. He might have had an _inkling_, but the blonde millionaire had carried him down and into the kitchen. The memory brought strange shivers to the back of his shoulders and neck, but he ignored them and instead turned to the task of finding his way around the mansion. Taking a random right, Sasuke followed a hallway until it opened up into a beautiful living room. Wide windows stretched across walls and let vibrant sunlight pour into the room, lighting the already bright furniture up brilliantly. Black coffee tables soldiered on either side of the corner couch, silver lamps glinting.

But the thing that caught Sasuke's attention, despite all the glamour and glory of the shiny living room, was the man slumped on the couch, his bright blonde hair tumbling over his eyebrows, tan arms dangling off the sides of the white cushions. His full lips were parted slightly in sleep and his eyelids fluttered with dreams. There was a pad of paper fallen to the floor next to his hand, and Sasuke's curiosity peeked. Slinking over to the blonde, he silently grabbed the pad. His eyes widened and he felt his breath catch in throat when he saw his own face gaze up at him from the paper. The millionaire had drawn him on the stairs, just as he was turning over and smiling at the angered blonde.

Sasuke glanced up at the sleeping figure again before looking back down at himself, at the delicate way the pencil had imbedded him into the paper. He felt strangely happy, not only of the fact that the blonde had drawn him, but that he would now be caught forever in that moment. Placing the portrait back down, Sasuke sat down on the ground below him, the ground in front of the blonde artist. He wished he knew how to draw. A thought flicked quickly into his mind, but Sasuke quickly threw it out. Why would the blonde want to teach him, anyhow? He barely knew him and owed him nothing. It was Sasuke who was so far in debt he would never get out. A stinging pain filled his stomach, and for a second Sasuke had to figure out that the pain he was feeling wasn't physical. It was emotional. Frowning, Sasuke touched his stomach before looking back up at the sleeping man. He wanted to repay him somehow, but he only knew one way to please people. The air in his throat locked up as he considered pleasuring this masculine beauty in front of him. Sasuke swallowed and sat on his hands before he did anything that he would regret. He didn't even know if this man _liked_ men, much less _liked_ getting jacked off by them. He had a feeling the red-haired one liked it though. But the thought wasn't as appealing as it was with the blonde. Blowing out a frustrated sigh, Sasuke sat back and watched the artist as he slept. Surprisingly, it was quite entertaining. He mumbled and sighed and fumbled and moved and simply did not hold still, even in slumber. Smiling slightly, Sasuke reached out and touched the twitching cheek. It was peculiarly scarred, three lines that were of much resemblance to whiskers marred the soft skin. Tracing one with his finger, Sasuke didn't once think of how absurd his actions were. It felt right doing this. It didn't feel right, however, when the blonde's eyes snapped open and clashed with his own dark orbs. There was a moment of silence as the two sized each other up before the millionaire sucked in a breath. Sasuke's hand was instantly pulled away and tucked back under himself.

The artist's eyes were bright as they bored into Sasuke, as if seeking an answer to why he was touching him. Sasuke opened his mouth as his heart beat frantically. Then the blonde's face broke in two with the most brilliant thing Sasuke had seen in a long time. His teeth were so white, his eyes so true, Sasuke felt his heart melt and he turned away before he could touch that silken skin again.

"Having fun?"

Sasuke blinked and looked back up, which was a huge mistake. He was instantly sucked into those blue eyes, the way care and hope seemed to pour off him in vital waves, and Sasuke was undoubtedly attracted to it. Like a moth to light. He then tried to come up with a suitable answer for the question.

"Your cook drugged me."

Yes. Simply perfect. But the blonde didn't seem fazed at all. He sheepishly grinned and then rubbed his eyes.

"Ah, yeah. She's stubborn. You can call her Cook." Sasuke raised his eyebrows and nodded.

"Creative."

The blonde laughed as if surprised, then stood up. Sasuke stayed where he was, not wanting to move until the he was sure of what the blonde wanted him to do.

"So your name's Sasuke, right?"

"Yes. What's your name?"

"Naruto."

Sasuke turned his gaze to the ground and turned the name over and over in his mind until he was sure he couldn't forget it. There was a touch at his shoulder and Sasuke jumped, eyes wide. Naruto was staring down at him, his eyes kind.

"How'd you get down here?" Sasuke was hyper-aware of the fact that Naruto's hand was still placed on his shoulder, fingers caressing skin that was exposed due to an oversized shirt. Sasuke swallowed hard and tried to calm his racing heart.

"S-stairs," He breathed out. Where had the once proud Uchiha gone? Probably down the drain with the rest of his blood.

Naruto squatted down next to him with a grin on his face, knocking his shoulder gently with his own. Sasuke looked up and met his cerulean blue eyes.

"Those damn stairs, eh?"

oOo

Light. Blinding, it pierced through Itachi's lids. For a moment, he thought he had died. But then, he didn't think he'd find anything annoying in his death, or be accompanied by a dear old friend of his. Pain. That was the second thing he was aware of. Groaning, Itachi grumbled and curled into his pillow. As he mentally checked up on all of his wounds, he found that his arm was conveniently better. He scrunched his eyes shut and turned away from the light, burrowing under silk for protection.

"Turn off the fucking light," He growled, and there was a rich, deep laugh. He knew in an instant who it was. His blood ignited and his breath crowded around his throat, as if eager to see the redhead standing at the end of his bed.

"Dollar in the swear jar," He commented, and Itachi peeked out of the covers. His eyes clashed with red ones, and his blood turned into boiling lava inside of him. He felt a sultry smirk tug at his expression without his brain's consent. Something about the flimsy way he acted, as if everything was a joke or a game, made Itachi want to get him serious. Even in his state, something about that redhead made Itachi stir. Those red eyes narrowed as they took in the raven's expression, and the bed dipped under the sudden added weight. The redhead crawled towards Itachi, cornering him against the headboard. Itachi could lean forward just an inch and feel the sweet touch of the man's eyelashes against his skin. But he stayed put, breathing hard.

"How's your cut?" The man whispered, and his breath fanned over Itachi's face, warming his cheeks.

"It's better," he responded lowly, eyes flicking upwards. Red filled his vision, but then faded into black as the man's pupils dilated with a dark emotion. "Why are your eyes red?"

The man stared at him before he chuckled, then laughed. He looked down at Itachi and grinned, laying his forehead against the raven's. Itachi swallowed, taking the opportunity to gaze fully at his eyes, their strange color.

"Stage contacts,"

Itachi closed his eyes and sighed. He then opened them and snagged the redhead with his eyes, pushing himself higher up on the bed so they were even.

"Tell me your name."

The redhead looked startled, but a slow, curling smile glided onto his face, and he complied.

"Kyuubi."

Itachi let his eyes flick back and forth between Kyuubi's own. He leaned a little closer, and was pleasantly surprised when the man didn't move back. Itachi moved both his hands to cup the redhead's cheeks, running his thumbs over his high cheekbones.

"Let me thank you," He whispered and Kyuubi's breath hitched, stuttering in his throat. The redhead swallowed, and Itachi was quick to follow the movement with his lips. The feeling of his skin against his mouth was amazing; he had wanted to taste him ever since he had laid eyes on him. Kyuubi had gone silent, except for his ragged breath. His hands were clutching the bed sheets beside him, and his head tilted to the side ever so slightly.

"Y-you should be thanking m-my father," He whispered hoarsely. Itachi shook his head and curled his fingers through Kyuubi's hair, loving the way the soft locks slid along his skin. He placed a kiss on Kyuubi's cheek, then moved closer, pressing a kiss against the corner of his mouth, moving his hands from his hair and sweeping them down his chest, finding his nipples through his enticingly tight shirt and gently circling them. Kyuubi tipped his head back and let out a gust of air.

"Jesus,"

Itachi grinned against his neck, after losing his face. He sucked once on the hollow of his neck, and Kyuubi's hands grabbed at his sides. Itachi bit into his neck as pain echoed through his body. Kyuubi's hands were gone instantly and he had tipped Itachi's head back, worry in his eyes.

"Are you ok?" Kyuubi pressed a finger against his eyebrow softly, eyes taking him all in. Itachi nodded, tweaking the redhead's nipples again. The worry in his eyes glazed over with lust and he moaned softly.

"I can make you feel so good," He whispered, tracing his hands down Kyuubi's sides. "You won't regret taking us in, I promise." The body under his lips and hands stiffened suddenly. Then it was gone, tumbling off the bed in a rush of limbs and curses. Itachi looked up, confused and yearning for the warmth that he had just lost. Kyuubi was breathing hard, running his hands through his hair, and Itachi noted with pleasure that it was currently loose, not tied back. But then the redhead turned to look at him, and all pleasant thoughts scattered from Itachi's mind. Disappointment. Of all things to see on his face, this is the sight that greeted Itachi. And pity.

"Itachi, you… You can't… God." Kyuubi pressed both palms against the wall and hung his head before continuing. "We'll never regret saving you or your brother. You don't… You don't need to _repay_ me, or _anyone_ for what we're doing." Kyuubi stood again and turned to face Itachi, desperation in his features. "You're free, now. You don't belong to us. You can own _your_ life. We're just here for you. We're here to _help_, not to _serve. _This isn't where you used to live. You don't have to repay us with sex. I mean…" Kyuubi bit his lip, then shook his head and smiled half-heartedly. "Forget it. You understand what I'm trying to say?"

Itachi opened his mouth and then looked away, disappointment burning a hole in his own stomach. He had been so sure… Turning away, Itachi climbed out of bed. He still felt something, something _burning_ inside of him, and he knew it was because of Kyuubi. He looked at Kyuubi, who was currently biting at his lip like it was candy.

"Okay," he whispered, and Kyuubi looked up. Their eyes met and the air in the room leaked away. Before he knew what he was doing, Itachi's feet were moving on their own accord and he was leaning down close to the redhead. Then he placed a small, quick kiss on his cheek before pulling back. Kyuubi met his gaze and let out a gust of air.

"Jesus,"

oOo

Sasuke stared out the window of the living room, watching the way the dappled sunlight fell through the thriving green leaves of the ancient oak in front of the manor, the healthy, dark green grass that coated the lawn, vibrantly showcasing the beautiful landscape. He wasn't aware of Naruto staring at him from across the room, watching him with a fevered heat in his gaze. Sasuke pressed his forehead to the cool glass, a longing deep inside of him awakening. It had been so long since he had sat outside in the grass, feeling the slick shine of the gorgeous green plant slide over his arms and relax him into a state of bliss. To feel the wind wipe the worry lines from his face, to lift his heavy burdens off his shoulders. There was a sudden weight next to him, and Sasuke looked over. Naruto was staring outside with him, his clear eyes looking around the yard.

"You wanna go out there?"

Sasuke felt his breath catch in excitement.

"Really?"

Naruto turned to look at him, an emotion Sasuke couldn't pick out burning brightly in his eyes.

"You're free, Sasuke. Of course you can go outside. This is your life."

Sasuke opened his mouth, then looked outside. He was free. He was safe. Turning back around, he met Naruto's gaze.

"Let's go outside."


	5. Chapter 5

**AN: Look at me. I do love you people. Your reviews kept me going like a freaking train or something. I'm not REALLY happy with this chapter; don't get me wrong, I would never post anything I didn't think was worthy, but I think I ****might**** (hehe fancy underline) have made this chapter too choppy. Also, I decided I'm going to actually give shoutouts to people because at first didn't want to hurt anyone's feelings, but then I was like PSHAW. They're tough. But the fantastical reviewer who gave me the 'thank you sex' idea was the lovely Usami-Sensei :D! SO THERE YOU HAVE IT. Another thing: You guys might riot against me with this chapter, but TRUST ME AND DON'T RIOT: I GOT CHU. I GOT CHU. It just had to be done. ALSO: (Dear Lord do I ever stop?) I was made angry by a certain SOMEONE (COUGH COUGH SIBLING COUGH) Towards the end of this, so sorry if the writing it kind of abrupt. ALIGHT. NOW THAT THATS OVER, ENJOY!**

**POV: Screw it. I tried. Its mixed guys. Mainly Sasuke though :D (That reminded me: Kyuubi and Itachi aren't in this as chappy much, sorry :()**

**Disclaimer: ... Mine**

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Sasuke stood by the porch door, his hand clutching the doorknob with white knuckles. Naruto stood behind him, a gentle guardian prepared to save him from the dangerous backyard. Sasuke swallowed, and he turned back, wanting Itachi with him. But his eyes snagged on big, blue, unbearably sensual orbs that held his gaze fast.

"Go on, Sasuke," he said with a grin, patting the raven's shoulder.

Sasuke swiveled around and shoved the door open, stepping outside with relish. The cool air touched his face, bringing back memories he thought he had lost. Memories of playing with Itachi in the garden, memories of their mother watching them with tears in her eyes. Of their father leering at them from above, his eyes replaced with something cold and hard, like a piece of metal. Sasuke inhaled deeply, as if trying to cleanse his very being with the pure air. He sighed as the wind curled gentle fingers through his hair, unwinding his taut shoulders and ushering him under the ancient oak he'd seen from inside the living room. The sun sprinkled everything with light, made the bees bumble and the trees swish. Sitting down in the soft grass, Sasuke ran his fingers over the slick, glossy hairs of the earth. He smiled softly, then it grew, bigger and bigger until it lit his whole face up, and for a second, he competed with the sun.

oOo

Naruto watched in silence from the house as Sasuke basked in the sun, his hands spread out, feet dangling from the side of the hammock. He had stayed with the raven for a while, smiling at the way he had reacted to nature, as if it were the most glorious thing in the world. And, in truth, it was. Naruto had to fight the urge to join him outside again; share in basking with the compelling brunette. But he needed to know that he was free, and that he wasn't constantly being monitored. Realizing what he was doing, Naruto quickly looked away from the window and padded barefoot over to the stairs. He hadn't seen Kyuubi since he had gone upstairs with Itachi, and Naruto was beginning to worry that something… _adultish_ was happening.

Pushing up the flight of stairs, Naruto treaded over carpet and sneakily slithered up next to the guest bedroom's door, listening intently.

"No, of course you can't do that." Kyuubi's voice.

"Can't I just try? I think it would be fun." Itachi.

"No, that's stupid. I could hurt you. Plus, we don't even know if it fits inside you."

"What if you wash it?"

Naruto's face had decided it wanted to piss of Smokey the Bear, and was currently a cushion of flames against his skin. What were they _doing_ in there?

"Itachi, _no._ I would do it if I could, but I can't. Maybe when you're better we can try it. Even get some new."

There was a tsk behind the blonde boy, and Naruto jumped ten feet in the air. Cook stood behind him, her face set in a disapproving glare.

"Boy, you best not be eavesdropping. It's a nasty, disgusting habit that nine times out of ten makes you regret it. Now, shoo. Go get Sasuke and get to your father's office. He wants to talk to you boys."

Naruto gulped, still glued to the wall in shock. "But Cook, they're… doing _stuff_ in there,"

The older lady rolled her brown eyes and plunged into the room without warning, scaring Naruto away from the wall. There were two startled shouts, and Naruto poked his head in to see what was going on. Itachi was laying on the bed, his face set in a pout. Kyuubi was standing by the now open window, his eyes locked on Cook. Said woman then proceeded to turn around and raise her eyebrows at Naruto.

"Stuff?"

Kyuubi's eyes flicked over to Naruto. His eyes narrowed, and he stared at the blonde until he cracked.

"I was… _listening _and it sounded… Weird. Then Cook came over and I told her that it sounded, well, _weird_, and then here we are." Naruto grinned charmingly, scratching the back of his neck nervously. Kyuubi burst out in laughter, and Itachi had a large, amused grin on his face. The redhead chuckled once more before turning to look at Naruto.

"He wanted to try on my stage contacts."

Cook made an annoyed sound in the back of her throat. "Dear Lord, child, your imagination must be overactive today. Now, shoo. Go get Sasuke. And you two, go to Minato's office right now. He wants to talk to you all about something. Oh, and Itachi, a doctor is coming tomorrow to check up on you and your brother." Cook nodded once, as if satisfied with her instructions, then marched out of the room, leaving a faint smell of cookies behind. Naruto quickly followed her out of the room to save himself the embarrassment of Kyuubi's comments. Bounding down the stairs, Naruto glanced out the window to look for Sasuke. He had moved from the hammock, and was now sitting cross-legged on the grass, sorting through twigs and leaves with severe concentration. Naruto smiled slightly before moving out of the porch and into the sunlight.

Sasuke did not look up from his tedious work, and Naruto had to tap his shoulder to get his attention. Starting, the raven glanced up quickly, his shoulders hunching down, pulling back. A pang rattled around the blonde's heart when he realized Sasuke was flinching back from him. Then the brunette seemed to come to his senses and he straightened abruptly, meeting Naruto's eyes. Sucking in a deep breath, Naruto motioned to the house with a flick of his head.

"My father wants to talk to us. That ok?" Naruto asked, and Sasuke nodded. Standing up, the raven ran his hands through his hair and looked up at Naruto. It was the first time their height had come into the blonde's mind, and he realized that he was taller than Sasuke. Not by very much, maybe an inch or less, but the thought pleased him for some reason. Reaching an arm around the slender raven, Naruto led him inside carefully, unaware of how fast his walls were crumbling down around him.

oOo

Minato sat in his desk chair steepling his fingers as he waited for the boys to get there. He had felt horrible for leaving them in such a terrifying and confusing time, but he had to figure out how to set them free without the slave trade knowing. The thought of contacting their parents had sprung into his mind, but he had quickly dismissed it. It was disheartening to know that those boys had no parents to care for them. Sighing and running a hand through his hair, Minato eyed a pack of cigarettes lying on his desk. He knew it was a horrible habit; he just couldn't quit. He had started a couple of years ago, after… No. Clearing his throat, Minato picked up the pack and deposited it safely in a desk drawer. Out of sight, out of mind. Tapping is foot against the ground, the blonde pursed his lips as he thought of how to tell the boys that they could leave whenever they wanted. He didn't want to make it seem like they had to go; they most certainly didn't. For all he cared, they could _live_ with them if they really wanted to. But he also didn't want to make it seem like they were trapped. Minato had explained this to Cook, who had nodded and given him coffee to sooth his raging nerves. Then she had told him to repeat exactly that to the boys.

Squinting at his now cold coffee, Minato stood up and poked his head outside his office. His patience was being tested.

"Naruto! Kyuubi! Get in here!" He shouted, and almost instantly Kyuubi was walking up the steps, a wobbly Itachi following close behind. Minato smiled at the boy, opening his office door wider for them to get through. He had learned their names at the auction, when the man selling them handed them over. Itachi sat down slowly, closing his eyes. Kyuubi stood behind him, hands on his shoulders, rubbing soothing circles into his tense muscles. Minato watched with a small smile. He knew his son would take an interest in one of the two boys; it was just bound to happen. Then Naruto came tumbling into the room, falling on his hands and laughing. Sasuke soon followed, a triumphant smirk on his face. Hope coursed through Minato's veins as he watched his son and Sasuke. The boy was already well enough to get rough with his son. The thought made him unbearably happy.

After the Naruto had gotten off the floor, and Minato had accepted flushed apologies and thank yous from Sasuke and Itachi, Minato sat back in his swivel chair and assessed them all before speaking.

"It seems to me, that in the short time you've all known each other, what, seven, eight hours? That you have all become well acquainted with each other. That makes me happy beyond belief that all of you are getting along so well, but that also forces me to remind you that Sasuke and Itachi are as free as birds. They can come and go as they please. I think that the two of you need to know, just as much as Naruto and Kyuubi, that you are welcome here anytime, for however long. If you decide you want to live here, then by all means, please do. But also know that you can leave. My boys are capable enough to do the dishes and fold their clothes. We don't need servants."

Itachi nodded slowly, sucking his lower lip into his mouth. Sasuke looked over at his brother, and then, almost as if he couldn't help it, over at Naruto. Minato itched for a cigarette. Then the eldest brother looked up.

"May we stay here, until we have stable jobs… And sturdy legs?"

Minato smiled and nodded, and Kyuubi's posture relaxed instantly. Sasuke smiled back at Minato, but Naruto frowned.

"They need clothes." He stated, and everyone looked over at Sasuke. Blushing furiously, he ducked his head. Minato frowned. He hadn't thought of clothes. And since it was summer, school hadn't crept into his mind either. Well, for Sasuke.

"You know, you're right Naruto. They do need clothes. Why don't you take them shopping, boys?" Kyuubi grinned down at Itachi, who gulped and looked forward. Naruto glanced over at Sasuke, who in turn looked over at the blonde.

"I don't know the first thing about fashion," Naruto said quickly, and Sasuke shook his head in agreement. Minato puzzled over them for a minute before an idea came to mind.

"Sakura! She can help you, can't she son?" Naruto's face transformed at the mention of his girlfriend. His features set into one of shock, and his eyes turned a guilty shade of dark blue.

"Yeah! Yeah, of course she can help." Naruto turned to Sasuke, whose face had paled considerably. "She's got a great sense of fashion. She usually helps me pick out my clothes." He grinned at Sasuke, who nodded feebly back. Minato nodded to himself, then stood up.

"Alright, boys. Go shop!" He laughed as they walked out of the room, Kyuubi already listing off stores to Itachi. Sinking back down into his chair, Minato touched the framed picture on his desk and closed his eyes.

"If only you were here…" He whispered, bowing his head.

oOo

Sasuke watched with thinly veiled disgust as Naruto kissed the pink-haired girl in front of him. She had bounded into their house, all cheers and giggles and 'Hi, Sasuke!'. He could say didn't understand why he disliked her so much, but he would be lying. He knew it was because she was Naruto's girlfriend. But what he _didn't_ understand, was Naruto. If he'd had a girlfriend, why did he keep giving him fleeting touches, why did he _draw_ him? Why did he not pull away instantly when he had woken up to Sasuke touching him? It didn't make any sense, and Sasuke didn't have the energy to think it out. Thinking would be saved for later, after the horrid shopping trip was done. Admittedly, Sasuke would probably be ten times more excited to go shopping, had Sakura not been tagging along. It had been almost six years since he had seen the outside world up close and personal.

Sasuke was pulled from his thoughts when Naruto swung an arm around Sakura, grinning slightly. There was always a grin on his face.

"Alright, Sasuke, you ready to face the wraith that is Sakura?" Sakura glared up at him, punching him in the arm. Naruto winced but winked down at her and she smiled, rolling her eyes and turning back to Sasuke. Jealously burned like slow, boiling poison in his stomach, but Sasuke smiled softly.

"Ready as I'll ever be."

oOo

Sasuke stared at himself in the mirror. He couldn't decide if he looked gay, or if he actually liked the look. The shirt was fine; dark blue with a white stripe running horizontally across his chest, but it was the pants that had him questioning the outfit. They were black skinny jeans that hugged his slender hips and complimented how little muscle he had on his bones. He looked better in these than he did in huge, baggy jeans at least. Sakura had also given him a jacket to wear, a dark brown leather one, but he was too lazy to put it on, so he slung it over his shoulder and exited the dressing rooms.

Glancing down to fix his shirt, Sasuke looked up. And froze. Sakura was on Naruto's lap in the 'boyfriend chair' and she was kissing him like there was no tomorrow. Her hand was traveling lower and lower, until finally she squeezed his thigh. Naruto let out a soft sigh, and Sasuke's vision swam red. Luckily, Naruto looked up before Sasuke could launch himself at Sakura. He said something in low undertones to her and she quickly got down from his lap, blushing. But Sasuke then saw something interesting. As Sakura looked him up and down, her gaze became hungry. She licked her lips slightly before looking back up and meeting Sasuke's gaze. Desire burned bight in her eyes and she winked at him once before she turned back to Naruto, whose eyes were glued to Sasuke. Momentarily distracted by the blonde's gaze, Sasuke smiled at Naruto.

"I like it. Looks good on you, Sasuke." Naruto commented, standing up. His pants seemed a bit too tight in his crotch area. Sasuke's gaze flicked back over to Sakura, who was messing with her hair. Naruto turned and affectionate gaze on the pinkette and smiled. "Good job, babe." Sakura grinned at him and teased the hair on his forehead before walking up to the cash register with the rest of Sasuke's clothes. She kept glancing behind her, however, and meeting Sasuke's gaze. Evil, cheating, filthy rotten wench. Sasuke's eyes widened as he thought this. Then an idea popped into his head. He'd make Naruto see who Sakura really was. He'd seduce her, let Naruto find them, and then he'd _see_. He'd know she wasn't good enough for him. Quickly moving back to the dressing room and undressing himself, Sasuke redressed, then walked over to where Sakura was waiting. Alone.

"Where's Naruto?" He asked as he approached her. She eyed him once before giving him a smile.

"He went to go get some pretzels. He absolutely adores cinnamon pretzel bites. Thank you!" She told the cashier, taking the bags from her hands and exiting the store. Sasuke followed closely behind, trying not to marvel at the amount of people swarming about, buzzing with life, talking and laughing. He had a mission to get done here.

"You know, I've never seen a girl with pink hair." Sakura blushed and pulled at her hair.

"Yeah, I thought it would be a good idea… I love the color pink." She blushed and smiled, and Sasuke smiled back.

"It looks very good on you. I don't know many other women who could pull of pink hair." He wasn't lying; he _didn't_ know any other women, other than Cook, and he felt she couldn't do it. Sakura's blushed deepened.

"Thanks,"

Naruto then suddenly appeared in front of them, as if he were made of air.

"I got you guys pretzel bites too." He told them, grinning wildly. Sasuke smiled back, taking the warm cardboard cup from the blonde's hands. It smelled heavenly. Sasuke dipped his hand it and pulled out a warm, cinnamon covered bite. He popped it into his mouth. Naruto watched him closely, assessing his reaction. Sasuke moaned and swallowed it, licking his lips clean of cinnamon sprinkles. Sakura was eating hers slower, also watching Sasuke. He wondered if she knew about his… past. Popping another pretzel bite into his mouth, Sasuke tried to rid himself of the memories.

"Alright, guys. I think it's time we head home. It's like…" Naruto paused to check his phone, "Nine. Whoa. Ok, Sasuke, Sakura, we'd better hit the road."

oOo

Later that night, after Sasuke and Naruto had dropped Sakura off – also after she had blown a kiss to Sasuke – the two had gone back to the manor. Itachi and Kyuubi still hadn't gone shopping yet, because Itachi had wanted to wait until he was well enough, so he could enjoy himself. Until then he would just suffer from baggy clothes. Sasuke sucked his lower lip into his mouth as he stared at Naruto in the living room, mindlessly watching TV. His hair was ruffled and unkempt, his cheeks flushed slightly with warmth. Sasuke had borrowed a sweatshirt from him and returned to the outdoors, finishing his stick and leaf tower, before making dozens of others, so now there was a small army of twig houses standing guard outside. Sasuke worked up the nerve and entered the living room, sinking down next to the blonde. Naruto glanced up, and when he saw Sasuke, his face broke into a smile.

"Hey, Sasuke. How're the twig houses coming along?"

Sasuke internally raised his eyebrows, but externally just smiled softly.

"They're fantastic. It got too cold out there, so I had to come in."

Naruto shook his head and smiled. "I could take you to the park tomorrow, it's got this huge pond and everything." Sasuke lit up at the thought, and he nodded.

"That sounds really cool, but I wanted to…" He trailed off as a yawn arrested him midsentence. Naruto grinned at him, poking his nose.  
"Hold onto that thought, eh? I think you need some sleep."

Sasuke tried to shake his head, but it felt too heavy to move. He needed to ask him about Sakura, how much he loved her, how long they'd been together. He yawned again. The blonde dimpled at him and stood up, grabbing the raven's hand along the way.

He led him to a different room than before, and Sasuke frowned, a little annoyed he'd have to figure out the way from here again. But Naruto opened the door and led Sasuke in, and what awaited him was the most comfortable looking bed he had ever seen. It was piled with fluffy white pillows and the covers weren't slick silk, it was soft and comfortable, a fabric Sasuke didn't know. Naruto pulled the covers back and Sasuke fell gratefully into them, his head thick, his thoughts sluggish. He wanted to ask Naruto something…

"I'll see you in the morning, ok?" Naruto asked, and Sasuke nodded slowly, the claws of sleep grabbing him and pulling him down into sleep. But nightmares visited him. Visions of hands grabbing at him tore him to shreds, the sound of harsh breathing and Itachi's screams filled his ears, and Sasuke thrashed in bed, seeking escape from his cage of dreams. Pain erupted across his body and he felt sweaty, grubby hands grab at his face. Blood-shot eyes filled his vision, the stench of alcohol washing over him in tides, mixing with the coppery, bitter taste of fear in his mouth. He saw Itachi being whipped, felt the stinging kiss of a blade sink into his skin, and then words growled into his ears, over and over, never stopping.

"I'll always find you, Sasuke."

Sasuke arched up off the bed with a scream, ripping the still night apart, sweat drenching his body, his lungs going into overdrive. He screamed until his voice was raw, and then he screamed some more. Then there was a hand at his shoulder, touching him, shaking him, caressing his cheeks and forehead.

"Sasuke! Sasuke, I'm here, its ok. Its ok. Sasuke," Sasuke stopped and opened his eyes, searching for the voice. Naruto's face swam in front of his vision and he exhaled quickly, pulling the blonde down. Naruto wrapped his arms around Sasuke, letting him bury his head in the crook of his neck. "Relax," he whispered softly, running his hands softly through Sasuke's hair. He held him like that until Sasuke could breathe normally, and then he pulled back.

"You're ok," he promised, and Sasuke nodded, swallowing thickly.

"C-can you stay h-here?" he asked breathlessly, and Naruto paused only a second before nodding.

"Of course."

He crawled into bed next to Sasuke, not spooning, not cuddling, just barely touching, as if he didn't want to startle Sasuke. And that was what the raven needed. He didn't need his touch right now, he needed his comfort. And that's exactly what Naruto was giving him.

"Goodnight," he whispered, waiting for the blonde's response.

"Goodnight, Sasuke."

And with that, the raven sank into a dreamless sleep.

* * *

**AN: I haven't made one of these in a while... Heh. Anyway, the Itachi and Kyuubi shopping scene will come soon, I promise you. O.O So. Thats all I have to say about THAT (AHH Forrest Gump quote) Anywho, I hope you enjoyed, and remember little goaties: REVIEWS KEEP ME GOING. Love you all!**

**-IC (Does THAT feel good) **


	6. Chapter 6

**AN: And I am back, yet again, with another chapter. I almost didn't post this, BECAUSE WHEN I TRIED TO ORIGINALLY FF WASN'T STINKING WORKING SO I WAS LIKE 'FINE.' And went to bed. But as you can tell, that didn't work out too well. So here I am, there you are, and here this story is. I think this chapter is a little short, but who knows. Not me. Well, until I check tomorrow. I'm too lazy now. But also: Beware, young goaties, because JEALOUSY is a cruel, cruel thing. It eats away your soul. With that warning, please, enjoy this story, and make my lack of sleep worth it. :P**

**POV: Hah. You're funny, IC. Funny. I can't even honestly remember right now, thats how out of it I am. I'm pretty sure its NaruKyuu, so lets stick with that. **

**Disclaimer: I'm holding out for Easter, folks. **

* * *

Naruto slowly floated into consciousness, but stubbornly kept his eyes closed. There was warmth surrounding him, and he felt undeniably comfortable. Murmuring undistinguishable things into his pillow, Naruto wrapped his arm around the source of the warmth and tugged it closer. He smiled softly, and snuggled closer. Then he opened his eyes. Onyx orbs were staring back at him from under hooded lids. Naruto's eyes widened before he scrambled back and untangled their limbs. Breathing hard, Naruto flung his hair out of his eyes. Sasuke was blinking slowly, as if he still was catching up to what had happened.

"S-sorry about that," Naruto breathed out, running his hands through his hair as he struggled to control himself. Goddamned morning wood. Sasuke shook his head finally, smiling slightly as he gazed over at Naruto.

"It's ok. Thank you, by the way, for staying with me last night." He frowned in slight embarrassment before rubbing the sleep out of his eyes.

Climbing out of bed, Naruto nodded quickly. Then he realized he had no shirt on. Sasuke seemed to notice this at the same time, for when Naruto made eye contact with him, the raven's face was flushed and he swallowed. Naruto grappled for the covers, not understanding why it felt so intimate when Sasuke saw his bare chest. Complete strangers had seen it at the pool or beach, even in the locker rooms of the gym. But he felt utterly slutty and disturbingly vulnerable standing like that in front of Sasuke.

"I'm gonna go take a shower. Don't fall down the stairs again," Naruto grinned over at Sasuke, trying desperately to cover up the awkward that had replaced the oxygen in the room. Sasuke had a faint pink tint to his cheeks, but he nodded all the same and watched Naruto leave the room. Shutting the door with a huge sigh, Naruto pressed his palms against the wood of the door. What the hell was happening to him? He hadn't even known the guy more than one day and he already had him feeling like he was teetering on the precipice of gay. He only needed one little push to send him tumbling. Naruto growled deep in his throat. He was _not_ into Sasuke. Naruto repeated this in his head like a mantra as he made his way to the bathroom. Pushing open the door, Naruto ran his tongue over his lips as he took off what little clothes he had on. Cranking the shower on high, Naruto repeatedly stuck his hand under the sprinkle of water until he was satisfied with its temperature.

Washing off his body felt like washing off his feelings. So when Naruto stepped out of the shower ten minutes later, he was sure as sure could be that he was straight as an arrow. Toweling off his hair, Naruto opened up the door. And ran straight into a hard, toned body. They tumbled down together, Naruto desperately trying to get a hold of his towel along the way. He kept his eyes smashed shut, not wanting to see who he'd run into. When they finally came to a stop, Naruto was lying on top of the man, his arm flung over a clothes chest, legs straddling thighs. Swallowing, Naruto threw himself off the body and wrapped his body up in the towel.

"You know, if you want me that badly, you could just tell me."

Naruto's blood froze. Dear Lord. Itachi's voice sounded mildly amused and also partly aroused. Squinting his eyes open, Naruto was met with the sight of Itachi sprawled on the floor, his face screwed up in slight pain. Forgetting what had just happened for a moment, Naruto got up and helped Itachi stand, making sure his towel was tied securely around his waist. Itachi gratefully accepted his help, and then smiled smugly at him once he was standing.

Naruto blew his hair out of his face and tried to calm down his face. "Please don't tell anyone about this. Kyuubi would absolutely _kill_ me if he knew..." Naruto trailed off when Itachi's eyes flicked over his shoulder and grew drily amused. Eyes widening in horror, Naruto turned around. Dear Lord. Kyuubi was standing outside Itachi's room, his hands clenching and unclenching, his face as red as his hair. Then to make matters worse, Sasuke stood outside of his room, his face unbearably pale. His eyes kept flicking from Itachi to Naruto, confusion filling his gorgeous eyes.

"You're right, Naruto. I think Kyuubi's gonna kill you too," Itachi said, laughing slightly. Naruto whirled on him, disbelief in his eyes.

"You know it was an accident! Kyuubi, I was drying my hair and then I ran into him! I couldn't _see_."

Kyuubi glanced over at Itachi, who seemed to be thoroughly enjoying himself. Then his gaze swung over to Naruto, and jealously burned brightly feral inside of those red eyes. Naruto felt his blood turn to ice again. Kyuubi then turned swiftly to Sasuke, grabbed his wrist and tugged him forward. Itachi's smile now fell right off his face. Naruto's stomach was a giant block of boiling lava that was slowly freezing over. Sasuke's eyes widened, right before Kyuubi crushed his face to Sasuke's.

There was suddenly an abundance of blood in Naruto's face and his mouth opened in silent outrage. Itachi stiffened beside him, his eyes widening, his hands uncurling. Kyuubi broke the kiss just as quickly as he started it, but the damaged had been done. Itachi turned his furious glance on the redhead before he tore down the stairs, stumbling wildly. Naruto felt black rage coil tightly in his stomach, and he had to bite the inside of his cheek until he tasted blood to keep from killing Kyuubi. The redhead sucked his lower lip into his mouth and looked once, as if apologizing, to Sasuke before he chased after Itachi. Naruto met Sasuke's eyes, and his breath caught.

"I'll be outside," Sasuke said softly, then he swiftly maneuvered around Naruto and walked carefully down the stairs, leaving the blonde alone.

oOo

Kyuubi felt as if he had a huge led bullet stuck in his stomach. He was such an idiot! Such a fucking idiot! He had been drenched in jealousy, and only because Naruto had gotten to touch Itachi in a way Kyuubi had not yet. Naked! He knew it had all been a mistake; that his brother was most likely straight, that he was already embarrassed enough, but Kyuubi hadn't cared. He had wanted to hurt Naruto just as much as he was hurting. So he had kissed Sasuke. Which had backfired in so many ways. Itachi had probably hurt himself somewhere, and Kyuubi had no idea where.

"Itachi! You can' just go frolicking around the house in the condition you're in! Look, I was _jealous_ ok? Itachi!"

Kyuubi reached the end of the stairs, quickly checking around him. The damn raven hadn't even had the courtesy to leave a trail behind him. Kyuubi made his way to the kitchen, checking every room and crevice along the way, making sure that Itachi was in none of them. Cook was standing over something on the stove, and when Kyuubi burst into the room, she jumped and turned around with a scowl.

"Boy, what're you doing?"

Kyuubi flicked his hair out of his eyes impatiently. "Trying to find Itachi. You haven't seen him, have you?"

Cook paused in turning around and gazed hard at Kyuubi. "What did you do to that poor man?"

Kyuubi bit back a grunt of frustration. "Nothing. Cook, have you _seen_ him?"

Cook sighed and nodded her head, pointing out into the right hallway. "He came crashing through here like a bat out of hell. Then he just whizzed right back out, and I'm pretty sure I heard him go down the basement stairs. You better get him emotionally fixed, because the doctor's coming soon. In about fifteen minutes, actually."

Kyuubi nodded his thanks and followed Cook's directions, heading down to his basement. Shivers instantly raced up his spine and he felt pain tug at his being. He hadn't been down here in years.

"Itachi! Goddamnit, you can't hide like a little girl!"

"I'm not hiding. I'm finding," Was the reply. Kyuubi let out a sigh of relief before he realized where it had come from. His heart clenched painfully and he coughed as if to rid his body of the emotion. Itachi walked out of the art room slowly, a slight frown on his face. He looked up and met Kyuubi's eyes.

"What…?" He started to ask, but Kyuubi cut him off with a quick, harsh gesture.

"Nothing. Just an old hobby. The doctor's going to be here soon, so you need to…" It was Kyuubi's turn to trail off as Itachi pursed his lips tightly.

"Doctor?"

Kyuubi nodded and raised his eyebrows. "We don't know if either of you is suffering from internal wounds… And, ah, any possible diseases."

Itachi's face hardened until he resembled a beautifully carven statue, cold and unyielding. "I assure you, we don't. He used a condom every time."

The blood left Kyuubi's body in a rush and pooled around him on the floor. Without even realizing what he was doing, Kyuubi closed the space between himself and the raven, and pulled him into an embrace. He buried his head in Itachi's feather-soft hair, murmuring soft, unintelligible words into his ear. Itachi hesitated at first, then he collapsed in his arms. Clinging back desperately, Kyuubi felt the raven's whole body shaking, as if he were letting go of a boulder he had held onto for far too long. He probably was.

"He would target me… He would… always _touch_ me and take this sick, twisted pleasure in the way I cringed back… And when he wasn't on me he was… H-he was attacking…" Itachi paused, sucking in a huge gulp of air. "S-Sasuke. And he would make me _watch_. And if I c-closed my eyes… He would hurt Sasuke." Itachi's knees gave out, and Kyuubi quickly caught him, sliding them both to the floor. "It was so hard… Not to… to give _in_. There were so many chances that I had… I could have just…" Itachi stopped and buried his head in Kyuubi's shoulder, his chest heaving as his lungs went into overdrive.

"You can tell me," Kyuubi said softly, but Itachi pulled back, pressing both his hands to his face before shaking his head softly.

"I'm ok. I'm fine. Let's just go see the doctor, and then I'll take a nap. I need sleep."

Kyuubi complied, lifting the raven off the floor gently. He ached to pull the man back into his arms, but refrained. He barely _knew_ the man. Why was he so infatuated with him? He would like to think possibly love at first sight, but he would be kidding himself. He knew it was the mystery that seeped out of the brunette like dangerously enticing poison. Kyuubi had always been a sucker for dark, tortured souls. He hated himself for it. He felt like he was using Itachi, even if Itachi wanted him back. Kyuubi was known for quick, intense romances. Itachi didn't need that right now. He needed stable and loving.

Guiding the weak raven up the stairs and into their living room, Kyuubi tucked his feelings and thoughts of Itachi safely into a small box in the corner of his mind. He was good at that. Packing and tucking away, out of his thoughts. He'd had enough practice. Naruto was sitting slumped on the corner couch, his face sulky, his posture like a defeated knight. Itachi smiled softly when he saw Naruto, and Kyuubi felt the needle prick of jealously worm into his stomach, but quickly pushed it off. Naruto was an easy guy to like. Of course Itachi would be fond of him.

Said blonde looked up as the two entered, and his gaze darkened considerably. He pushed himself off the couch and stood, a tall, towering terror of blonde hair and big puppy dog eyes. Kyuubi felt like apologizing, but decided against it. Apologizing to Naruto never helped his case. He usually had to leave Naruto to blow off steam until he was himself again.

"You might want to go get Sasuke," Kyuubi said lowly, not making eye contact with his little brother. Naruto gave a curt nod before storming out of the room.

oOo

Naruto was a riot of emotions as he slammed the porch door open and flung himself onto the porch. Sasuke looked up in surprise, dropping a slim stick to the lush grass. He was surrounded by small twig houses, topped with a crown of leaves. Naruto's strange smoothie of emotions calmed and softened at this, and his closed his eyes in a flutter of lids. He pushed his anger out of him with a sigh and reopened his eyes. Sasuke was still staring at him, his eyes wide and innocent, but also a bit hurt.

Naruto made his way across the army of miniature houses, reaching Sasuke. He sank gracelessly to the ground, sparing the houses but not Sasuke. His foot crashed into Sasuke's hand, which was holding a large pile of leaves. They exploded around the two as Sasuke's hand was jerked up by Naruto's foot. Amidst the shower of green, Naruto met Sasuke's eyes. Not one word was spoken; there was no need to. Already, they understood each other with a look. Sasuke smiled softly at Naruto, just as the final leaves fell to the ground around them, and reached over to pluck a leaf out of his blonde flames.

"You know, that could have been the mansion twig house. But you kicked my leaves out of my hand." Sasuke said, glancing over with a grin in his eyes but not on his lips. Naruto chuckled and raised his eyebrows.

"Why build a mansion when you have one right here?" He gestured to the grand house behind them. Sasuke met his eyes before turning away with a huff.

"For the leaf people, of course."

Naruto dimpled and leaned closer, watching as Sasuke stuck the sticks into the ground, making a square. Then he began placing them in a teepee fashion, creating a pointed roof. The raven smiled softly as he worked, and Naruto saw in his eyes he was off in a different world. Probably with the leaf people. Sasuke then began topping the roof off with different colored leaves, creating a multicolored roof. He leaned back and pursed his lips as he took his new house in, then smiled and glanced over at Naruto.

"Who are the leaf people?" The blonde asked, unable to help himself.

Sasuke smiled even wider shaking the hair out of his eyes. "They're a kind of imaginary friend, but instead of just one, there are thousands. I made them up when I was about six or seven, when things were…" Sasuke trailed off and swallowed, chewing on his lip before frowning down at the ground. "They've been with me forever. It became a hobby of mine to make them houses wherever I went, so they would never be homeless. And since there are so many, I can always make more houses." Sasuke began collecting more stick, piling them all in his palm. Naruto watched him, and then he began to collect sticks himself, piling them until they matched the size of Sasuke's. The raven noticed and glanced up. Naruto met his gaze with a smile, plunging the sticks into the earth. Sasuke smiled back, then leaned over and started helping him. Their fingers and arms brushed every now and then, sending electric jolts up Naruto's spine. Finally, when the house was done, Naruto piled leaves on top of one another, until the roof was securely protected. Then he dug a small hole in the middle of the house, jamming to smaller twigs into the hole. Sasuke looked at him in confusion.

"This shall be Leaf Naruto and Leaf Sasuke's house. And those two twigs shall be the mighty Leaf Naruto and Leaf Sasuke."

Sasuke opened his mouth slightly, emotion burning brightly behind his eyes as he stared at the collection of sticks and leaves. Then he finally turned to Naruto and smiled, a brilliant smile that Naruto thought could second as a sun.

* * *

**AN: Hoped you guys liked this chapter :3 *gush gush* But I also wanted to tell you; the doctor thing will most definitely be coming tomorrow, mostly because I have nothing to do. At all. So, until I get a life (I believe its arriving Wednesday) You guys are gonna have daily updates. If you even count this daily, seeing its 12:03 at night, but meh. Pwease leave a review if you feel the need burning deep in the pit of your soul, and also maybe not, because I love them either way. Much love,**

**-IC **

**P.S. (Overactive mind much?) Thanks to all you guys who review, favorite, and follow. You honestly don't know how happy they make me. Legit, you guys are the best. (Also, to those of you who don't have an account but still enjoy my story, you rock too.)**


	7. Chapter 7

**AN:** **Shut up. I know. I'm a filthy liar, but life arrived a bit earlier than I was expecting it. Life happens (ahahahaha). But anyway, this chapter is kind of serious. And it definitely is a game changer. I think my writing style kind of changed (think being the key word here) or maybe it just improved, I have no clue. But also: I made the change of the category, and added Hurt/Comfort to this because it's just kind of been staring me in the face and breathing awkwardly down my neck for a while. So. I can't remember what I was going to say, so I'll let the story do the talking. **

**POV: Haha! Its just Sasuke today folks. I did it. **

**Disclaimer: I'm too tired. I can't think of anything smart to say. I'm out of clever juice. I'm gonna go drink orange juice. Yum.**

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Sasuke looked up when he heard the front porch's door open swiftly. Then he heard Cook's voice, softer from a distance and dread curled slowly in his stomach. Itachi sat directly next to him, his familiarity a huge relief to the smaller raven. Searching for his hand, Sasuke grasped it tightly. He knew the doctor would tell them things, thins that he would rather not hear. Ignorance was bliss. He knew Itachi was much worse for wear than he was, and he lived with that guilt silently every day. Swallowing, he felt hollowed out inside as Cook ushered the doctor in. He had a shock of gray hair, but he couldn't be a day past twenty seven. He had kind looking eyes, but a wicked scar marked his right one.

He had a medical mask covering the whole lower half of his face, just under his eyes, and when he looked up, his dark gray orbs shone and spoke of kindness. Itachi stiffened beside Sasuke, and the grip on his hands tightened further.

"Hello, boys. Looks like I'm here to check up on all of your bumps and bruises, eh?"

Sasuke slowly nodded, and then the doctor's eyes crinkled up in a smile.

"Alright, mind if I check up on your first? We'll just be in the kitchen, if any of you need anything."

Sasuke was suddenly standing, being shown on out of the room. He sucked in a huge gulp of air, and followed the gray haired doctor into the kitchen.

Sliding himself into a wooden chair, Sasuke watched as the older man set out his tools with a grace that came with practice and time. Nervousness was seeping into Sasuke's core, and he felt a bit sick to his stomach, like it was too small and was harboring a giant stone.

"Ok, this first part is easy. I'm just going to perform a physical on you, check on your external health. Well, not really external, but you know what I mean." He smiled at himself before walking over to Sasuke and holding a stethoscope to his chest, pausing in his talking to listen to the beat of his heart.

"Take a couple more normal breaths, please." He said, and he sounded all business. Sasuke complied, worriedly glancing up at the gray haired doctor. He was still for a minute before he nodded to himself, seeming pleased.

"Now, _deep_ breaths."

Again, Sasuke did as the doctor instructed, and again, said man nodded in pleasure.

"Great. Well, now we're gonna have look at your ears…" The sound of his voice slowly got quieter and quieter until Sasuke was lost in his own world, one where Leaf Naruto and Leaf Sasuke lived in their own grand mansion, one where Leaf Sakura did not exist, and Leaf Itachi was healthy and rich and thriving. Sasuke smiled slightly, but was rudely yanked out of his daydream by a hand at his shoulder.

"Welcome back," The doctor said, smiling. Sasuke blinked at him once before he continued. "Now, since your insides are all fine, we're gonna check any bruises or cuts you might have." Sasuke nodded one, and the doctor placed careful fingers over his clothes. He began prodding and skimming over muscles in a surprisingly gentle fashion, and Sasuke found himself lulled into a peaceful place.

"So, what's your name?" He asked, as if to distract the raven from the slight pain he was experiencing. The doctor had found his hidden cut.

Swallowing, Sasuke opened his mouth to answer, just when a burning pain snaked up his arm and arrested his tongue midsentence. Instead a loud grunt of pain escaped his mouth and his eyes widened with shock.

"Just cleaning it, don't worry. Name?"

Sasuke switched his focus off the pain and instead over to answering the doctor's question. "Sasuke," he spoke lowly, and the gray haired man nodded.

"I'm Kakashi Hatake. Mind telling me your favorite animal?" More pain lanced its way around Sasuke's body and he grunted, squeezing his eyes shut.

"D-Dolphin," he ground out, and Kakashi looked up in interest.

"You have _no_ idea how many times those fuckers have made me late to work,"

Sasuke was momentarily distracted from his pain to look down at Kakashi with a bemused expression.

"How?"

"Well, one time, I got jumped on the subway. There was this whole police chase and everything. Needless to say, I was late to work that day."

Sasuke smiled slightly before his mouth turned down again in pain when Kakashi's fingers pressed down on his shin. The doctor looked up and frowned.  
"That hurts?"

"Yeah," Sasuke pushed air out of his mouth and looked down at Kakashi.

The man pressed again, and Sasuke pursed his lips in pain. Kakashi then promptly began feeling around the area of pain and humming to himself. After a pregnant pause, and then a couple babies later, Kakashi looked up and his eyebrows drew together.

"It looks like you've got a helluva bruise on your shin, that's been there for a bit. Overall, though, seems to me that you're fine and dandy. Just a few scrapes and bruises here and there. Nothing critical." Again, the doctor's eyes crinkled up in a smile.

"You're free to go."

oOo

Sasuke felt like he should have a huge boulder lifted off his shoulders, but he had never felt more heavily held to the earth. He watched as Itachi made his was weakly into the kitchen, Kakashi helping him along the soft white carpet. Naruto was standing beside him, silent but comforting all the same. He kept quiet; and that's exactly what Sasuke needed right now. Naruto seemed good at that, at understanding what people needed. Sasuke turned around and worried at his lip, lifting his eyes to meet Naruto's gentle gaze.

"Itachi's going to be ok, right?" The raven whispered, and Naruto grinned reassuringly at him, punching his shoulder lightly.

"You betcha. And even if he's gonna be stubborn and indeed have something wrong, I wouldn't be lying when I say he's in good hands." Winking, the blonde laughed and Sasuke felt a bit better.

Naruto's gaze didn't stray from Sasuke, even when the raven turned his eyes towards the kitchen door at the sound of a muffled grunt.

"Wanna head to the park while they check him up? Rile up the birds? Maybe even people if we're lucky."

Sasuke smiled absent-mindedly, turning away with a small frown on his face. He could only think of Itachi. The worry wasn't new; Sasuke was used to the acidic feeling that burned in the pit of his stomach. It had become a constant reminded of his mistakes towards Itachi the first day his older brother had coughed up blood. Naruto had been a good distraction, true. But Sasuke was a fool to think that the worry could just disappear with the arrival of an independent, kind blonde beauty. Naruto seemed to instantly understand his mood, for the jokes slid off him and fell to a pile on the floor.

"Hey," his voice carried over to Sasuke gently, and the brunette turned around. Bright, blue eyes ensnared his own, and calm radiated from within them. Sometimes Sasuke wondered if the blonde had been alive for millions of years. He carried tranquility on his shoulder like it had always been there. Like he had seen everything, and knew, with time, it would work out. Sasuke wished he could believe that too. "Hey, Sasuke. Everything's gonna be ok. I promise."

Swallowing, Sasuke felt his back stiffen and his hands clench. "You don't know that, Naruto. I appreciate all of this, everything, really. But I don't want lies. You haven't seen Itachi like I have. He coughs blood. He constantly has to sit down. He wakes up, _screaming_. He constantly talks in his sleep about drowning in his own blood." Sasuke's head was swiveling as he talked, as if he wanted to find something in the room to throw. There was an energy building inside of him that felt powerful and all consuming. "If he doesn't get kill off first, _he'll go crazy_!" Sasuke screamed, grabbing his hair with desperate fingers. At first there was no response, then Sasuke felt a warm hand grab his wrist and tug him towards its owner.

"I will not allow you to give up, Sasuke." Naruto spoke lowly, but there was an undertone, something that demanded to be obeyed. Sasuke felt his stomach clench and his heart felt as if were crumbling in on itself.

"You barely know me Naruto." Sasuke said mockingly. He wouldn't let him get close. He had been stupid and foolish and downright _schoolgirlish_. He would not allow that. But the blonde didn't seem fazed. Instead, his grip tightened enough to make Sasuke look up. There he met a blue fire, completely engulfing him.

"I've never liked a quitter."

oOo

An hour later, Itachi was still in the kitchen, and Sasuke had begun to feel sick to his stomach. He felt the dry heaves already creeping along his spine and crushing his stomach between an iron fist. Naruto had left him alone for once, allowed him breathing room. He needed proper time to punish himself for forgetting Itachi so quickly. The raven was placed precariously on the edge of the white leather couch, his knees bent, his elbows digging into the space between his kneecap and bone. He barely noticed. All he could hear was the agonized grunts that echoed from inside the kitchen every so often. He could tell Itachi was holding in screams just for his sake. His older brother knew he was listening. That knowledge made Sasuke want to stand up, barge into the kitchen, and tell Itachi to scream. Tell him to stop sacrificing so much for him. But he was tethered to this spot, just as securely as if he were held by metal chains.

Sasuke squeezed his eyes shut and rested his chin on crossed fingers. When he opened his eyes back up, his vision snagged on a tall, slender figure, standing rigidly by the wall. Kyuubi. His red hair was pulled into a low ponytail, wisps escaping in gentle tendrils. His face was screwed up as he if himself were in pain, yet he stayed in his spot. He looked over then, almost as if he could sense Sasuke watching him. Red eyes locked with black ones, and then a plastic grin filled his mouth.

"Torture, huh?" He asked quietly, and Sasuke blinked in surprise before he nodded slowly, his back giving out on him. He fell into the couch cushion with a whoosh of resisting air.

Kyuubi walked over slowly, his long legs making him look taller than he really was. Even though Naruto and Kyuubi matched in height, the redhead looked longer only because of his slender figure and elegant gait. Naruto was well built and, truthfully, not very graceful. "It's a bitch, you know. Having a heart. It's like a fuck machine. You're given this great gift; the power to feel so strongly for someone that you can't even put it to words… And yet it somehow turns around and bites you in the ass. Feelings suck."

Sasuke felt a rueful smile escape his mouth and he nodded silently in agreement. "But," he found himself responding quietly, "It's also sort of a miracle. Without feelings, you couldn't know happiness. You couldn't _enjoy_ some part of your fuck machine."

Kyuubi glanced over at Sasuke, a sparkle of admiration in his eyes. He slapped his own knee and grinned, a genuine grin. Sasuke tried to smile back but the expression crumbled before it was even there. Kyuubi took instant notice. But he didn't say anything at first; he just evaluated. Then he cleared his throat like he was about to say something of extreme importance.

"Don't blame yourself, Sasuke." The redhead said quietly, and the brunette looked up, his full, desperate attention on Kyuubi. "It's part of the duty of the older sibling. You sign that invisible contract right when the baby comes into the family. I would do the same thing Itachi did with you for Naruto in less than a heartbeat. It's this kind of unconditional love that you can't put words to. As obvious as the need to breathe. It's just _there_."

Sasuke chewed on his lower lip as the words sunk into his brain like a leaden bobber into water. The worry was still there, as was the guilt, but he felt a little piece slip off his shoulder, floating to the ground silently. There was a sudden loud noise, and Sasuke started, turning his head in the direction of the sound. Kakashi stood in the door way, his eyes wild and light, his hair frazzled and crazy as if he had been running his hands through the locks of gray.

"He is fucked up," he started, and Sasuke felt his stomach hit the core of the earth. "_But_," he added, his eyes latching onto Sasuke. "Being the genius that I am, I know how to fix him. His innards are downright dreadful, but I _can fix him_. And all without surgery!" Kakashi was practically glowing, and Sasuke felt his stomach return to its rightful place inside his body. And his heart felt a little lighter, too. Kyuubi was on his feet, a look of sheer joy on his face.

"You are _brilliant_!" He exclaimed, and the doctor looked abundantly pleased with himself.

"I just have to order a couple antibiotics, some healing cream for his cuts, and then _you_ have to do all the tough work, and he'll be good." Kyuubi nodded, a look of intent concentration on his face. Sasuke wondered if he was memorizing everything the doctor had just said. He considered telling him it was useless, seeing as he had already stored it in his memory. Minato had suddenly appeared, as if he knew that something important was occurring. Sasuke nodded at him when the blonde adult smiled over in his direction, then placed himself directly beside the doctor. Kakashi turned to Minato with a pleasant crinkle to his eyes.

"Minato, it's always good seeing you. I was just telling the boys that Itachi is rightly fucked, but, being the mastermind that I am, I know just what to do." Minato looked relieved, as if a weight had just been lifted off his shoulders, and for the first time, it struck Sasuke that maybe these people did really care. He made eye contact with Kyuubi, and the older boy smiled and held up his hand, as if toasting.

"To fuck machines."

oOo

A couple minutes after Itachi had been declared 'rightly fucked but on the road to being right without the fuck', Sasuke had helped the adults escort a protesting Itachi to his new bedroom, where Dr. Kakashi promptly gave him a pill that had him out like a light within minutes. Sasuke turned a curious gaze towards Kakashi. The doctor smiled slightly, the skin around his eyes squinting upward.

"It's one of the antibiotics he needs. One of its side-affects is extreme drowsiness, so I would suggest taking it towards the end of the night."

Minato and Kakashi had then exited the room, probably to work out the prices and places and doses and such. Kyuubi planted himself at Itachi's bedside, and Sasuke had felt compelled to do the same, but another matter pressed at his conscience. The raven had silently slipped out the door and then padded down hallways and flights of stairs until he found who he was looking for. Naruto sat in the middle of a porch-like room, it was the smallest room Sasuke had seen in the mansion so far, smaller than even the gargantuan bathrooms. It was made of wood and decorated in simple furniture, screens on all three walls letting in refreshing gusts of air every time the wind blew. Naruto was stooped over the stool, his shoulders jerking with movement of his hand. Sasuke crept forward slowly, thinking the blonde hadn't heard him. He was mistaken.

"Close the door, Dad doesn't like letting the air out of the house." The blonde said softly, and Sasuke straightened in surprise. He complied, then returned to Naruto's side. Sitting down on the futon, Sasuke held his gaze forward, even though he wanted to look down so badly, to see what Naruto was creating with his hands. He wouldn't pry.

"I came here to apologize to you. I think you, ah, understand. So, I'm sorry for that. But I also wanted to tell you that… Whatever this is that's starting between us, it can't continue. I… I have too much to think about already. I don't need to juggle this too." Sasuke's eyes wavered from their spot and finally snapped over to Naruto. His tanned skin was softly glowing in the shining rays of afternoon sun sneaking in, his blond hair brushing his shoulders. His posture was rigid, and he looked like he wanted to stand up and burn something down. Instead, he turned to Sasuke with a grin, that same calm still echoing within the depths of his eyes. Maybe Sasuke was bad at reading body language.

"No problem. I didn't know there was anything going on, but I'll keep it strictly friendly from now on. Scout's Honor." He chuckled and stood up, flipping the sketch pad closed with a soft flick. He stuck the pencil behind his ear, a fact Sasuke found endearing. But then his brain caught up and his emotions followed close behind. Nothing between them? How could Naruto deny the obvious tension, _energy_ that sizzled in the air whenever they were together? But the raven kept his mouth stubbornly closed.

"So, how'd Itachi do? I'm assuming good right?" Naruto asked casually, straightening his legs out. Sasuke quickly stood up with the blonde, sucking in fresh air along the way.

"Well. You could put it that way. Dr. Kakashi said that he was pretty messed up, but he could fix it. Without surgery."

A brilliant, untamed smile lit up Naruto's face and Sasuke thought that maybe he could melt the polar ice caps with that smile.

"That's great, Sasuke!" Naruto whooped, and Sasuke smiled softly before turning and looking out the screen. His heart was at war with itself. Why did he feel like he'd just signed his death sentence with a heart? Oh, fuck machines.

* * *

**AN: Heh. So, yeah. I don't really know how to feel about this chapter; I really like it writing wise (no brag, no brag) But the progression is one thing I definitely need to work on. I also kind of started writing different, or at least in my opinion. And ALSO: That little sibling bit, how many of you out there understand what I'm getting at? Anyway, sorry for the late update, I'll try to work on it but I don't wanna give you guys quick updates with crappy writing, ja feel? Please, tell me what you think of it so far cause it really helps me out. Much love, **

**-IC**


	8. Chapter 8

**AN: GUYS! GUYS! HEY! LONG TIME, HUH? I am very sorry about the horrifically long wait, but I was suffering under a heavy, unyielding case of writers block. Obviously, I'm out of that little funk, but another obvious: My updates are random and uncontrolled, much like a girl on her period. By the way, before I get into the important chapter stuff, might I call to attention the fact that I have 75 followers for this story? I FEEL YOUR LOVE GUYS. I know the number may not seem big to some of you, but y'alls gots to remember, I'm a new author (I know my abundance of stories may beg to differ, but what can I do?) Then I think about all 75 of you are actually humans, who actually take the time to read my stuff, and actually ENJOY IT. Like... Whoa. I jut wanted to tell you how much I've missed you guys, and LOVE YOU. So anyway back to the real story stuff. I finally whipped myself into shape, and things are happening. The story always had this plot line, which I think some of you might have questioned, but it was simply a matter of how I laid it all out. Sorry for the confusion. Also: I am sorry for any mistakes I make, I don't have a beta, so I try my best to keep it perfect for you guys. Word is my friend. Sometimes. Alright, enjoy my goaties!**

**POV: Kyuubi (no Naruto or Sasuke in this chappie, sorry :(**

**Disclaimer: I don't have enough money to buy ramen noodles. Do you think I own Naruto?**

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A week later, Kyuubi opened his eyes to the blinding glow of the sun, piercing through the thin skin of his eyelids. Groaning and turning his face back into the pillow, the redhead tried to catch the last wisps of sleep before they slipped right through his fingers. Dozing slightly, Kyuubi did not notice when his bedroom door opened slowly, seamlessly. Nor did he notice when a raven-haired angel stood over him with a menacing smile sliding across his features. Mumbling softly, Kyuubi yawned as he slowly grazed the surface of consciousness. But before he could emerge fully, Itachi yelled into his face. Kyuubi jackknifed up, his heart beating frantically in his chest. Itachi was seeking cover against a wall, laughing like the room was filled with funny gas instead of oxygen. Kyuubi blinked a couple times as he tried to get his racing heart under control. Once he couldn't hear his blood pouring through his ears, Kyuubi turned his glare on Itachi who was smiling ear to ear by the door.

"You little shit," Kyuubi growled, and Itachi winked at him before he opened the door and slipped quickly out. Shoving the covers off in a tangle of limbs, Kyuubi leaped off the bed and chased Itachi into the hallway. Catching the pale skinned raven, Kyuubi trapped him against the wall and pinned his wrists on either side of his head. Itachi swallowed and looked the redhead in the eyes. Kyuubi hesitated, the thought that maybe he should let him go flickering through his head, but it quickly exited when he saw the flutter of Itachi's eyelashes. His dark gray eyes were staring back at him, making Kyuubi's thinking blurry and fuzzy. He could feel every place his body touched Itachi's felt the pleasurable shiver race through his nerves every time his skin brushed the brunettes.

"You don't have your contacts in," Itachi whispered, and his breath tickled Kyuubi's skin. It smelled deliciously of honey.

"No, I usually don't sleep with them in." He responded, feeling exposed and completely vulnerable. No one had seen him without his contacts in at least two years. Itachi smiled and flexed his fingers, still trapped by Kyuubi's hands. The raven had made a miraculous recovery within the short week since the doctor had been there. His cuts had almost all disappeared, and he could walk on his own without stumbling or tripping. Kyuubi blinked once before, without his brain's consent, he leaned in. His forehead brushed Itachi's, their noses rubbing. Kyuubi heard Itachi's breath catch, then felt it as he exhaled, surrounding him in the same, honey-sweet scent.

"God, Itachi." Kyuubi growled, and turned his head away before he did something they would both regret, and instead buried it into the pale man's shoulder. The tension left Itachi immediately, and Kyuubi released the Uchiha's wrists, stepping back. He felt cold, the absence of Itachi's heat making him want it twice as badly.

"Kyuubi," Itachi began softly, and the redhead looked up, brows furrowed. He didn't want another stress lecture from Itachi. He seemed to love giving them to anyone who would listen. And when they didn't, he found thoroughly amusing. But there wasn't the warning tone that usually signaled the start of yet another lecture, instead there was a mischievous glint in his eyes, amusement creeping into voice. "You never took me shopping." He finished, and Kyuubi blinked once, before his face broke in two with a grin. He shook his head and ran his hand, amused, through his hair.

"Okay, Itachi. Okay."

oOo

An hour later, Itachi and Kyuubi were sitting in the parking lot of the mall, Kyuubi running his hands nervously over his jeans, continuously glancing over Itachi as they strode closer towards the mall doors. Itachi had a look of utter amazement on his face, his hair adorably tousled, his cheeks flushed with afternoon heat. After the hallway incident, the two had separated to get ready for the mall, and Kyuubi had the misfortune of walking in on Naruto and Sasuke eating breakfast. Ever since the doctor's appointment last week, the air between them had fizzled out and become dead. They were careful around each other, tiptoeing away whenever one saw the other, spitting out the bare minimum of words needed, and returning to their skulking spots; Sasuke had claimed the yard, and every time Kyuubi looked out the window, the twig and leaf houses seemed to multiply. Naruto had suspiciously disappeared to the basement, down in the old art studio, and Kyuubi had longed to go down there and confront him, but every time he could muster up enough courage to go down the first step, memories swept him up and pushed him away, creating a sort of invisible wall that seemed, quite frankly, impenetrable. Cook was acting disgusted with both boys, and Minato was either in his office worrying over what to do next, or down in the kitchen talking about what to do next.

There was a touch at his shoulder, and Kyuubi looked down at Itachi, who was raising an eyebrow at him.

"You okay?" He asked quietly, and Kyuubi nodded quickly, sending him a promising smile.

"I think I should be asking you that question," Kyuubi replied as he swiftly opened the door to the mall, ushering Itachi in. Itachi smirked at him and reached up to ruffle Kyuubi's hair. Scowling, the redhead moved out of the way, a small smile at his lips. "You," he started, "do _not_ touch my hair, unless you want this shopping trip to be a complete and total nightmare."

Itachi grinned and scampered out of the line of fire, calling back to him, "I was already expecting that,"

oOo

Kyuubi shuffled in the seat he had perched himself on, flicking stray hair out of his eyes as he waited for Itachi to exit the dressing room. Once they got to the heart of the mall, Itachi had followed Kyuubi as he led him to his favorite store, where he had quickly and easily found an outfit that he thought would look absolutely gorgeous on the raven. Biting absently at one of his nails, Kyuubi sat up as the dressing room curtain was flung back. His finger fell from his mouth. Itachi stood before him, a tight black V-neck shirt hugging his stomach and shoulders, a maroon leather jacket slung casually over it. His legs were clothed in dark blue jeans, not skinny, but tight enough that Kyuubi could see the outline of his thigh's muscles. His shoes were black Converse, white laces tied perfectly. Swallowing, Kyuubi stood up and cleared his throat.

"You… You look great," he spoke too loudly to sound natural, and Itachi smiled elfishly at him, sashaying towards him with slow, lazy strides, hips swiveling seductively.

"Do I look great, Kyuubi, or is there something you're hiding from me?" He asked lowly, throwing an arm over the redhead's suddenly stiff shoulder.

"N-No, Itachi. I'm not. You look great. Better than great, really-" Itachi held a hand up to the Uzumaki's lips, silencing him successfully. The grin on his face lit the blood swimming through Kyuubi's veins.

"You're so cute, Kyuubi," Itachi said softly, his eyes trailing down to the redhead's lips, still pressed against his finger. Kyuubi resisted the urge to open his lips and pull the digit into his mouth. Instead he gently kissed the soft pad of Itachi's finger and pulled away, once again taking control of the situation. The balance was so off between them that Kyuubi had to constantly fight for control of the stubborn Uchiha. It was amazing.

"Take those off and let's find more outfits, you idiot." Kyuubi commanded with a smile. Itachi complied, slithering away with a lustful glance back before he twitched the curtain closed. Kyuubi bit his lip and stared at his hands, crossed and sitting perfectly in his lap. But he wasn't seeing his hands. Instead, his imagination had conjured up the picture of Itachi, not even ten feet away from him, completely naked. His heart spiked and his blood sang through his veins. His foot began to tap mercilessly on the floor in an attempt to keep himself together. He clenched his hands and blew a breath out of his lips, hissing into the silent air around him. Then he stood up and stalked towards the curtain, throwing it open.

There was a small gasp, but that barely register had Kyuubi took in Itachi's bare chest, his arms pulled above his head, ready to pull his shirt back on. Loose sweatpants were back on his legs, but Kyuubi could only see the images bruises in front of him. Horrible, blue, green, purple and brown splotches of color painted the raven's milky skin, telling the worst kind of story. Each brush stroke represented an unrelenting hand, a cry of pain, a lost battle. Itachi quickly pulled his shirt over his head, and the images before him disappeared behind a thin layer of fabric. Kyuubi looked up, his stomach painfully tight. Itachi was looking back at him, and what the redhead saw there surprised him. It wasn't pain, humiliation, guilt or anguish. It was determination. Respect unfurled violently in Kyuubi, and he wrapped an arm around Itachi's shoulder, pulling him against himself, so their bodies were flush with each other.

"Enough mushy stuff." Itachi said with a grin, ducking under Kyuubi's arm and out of the dressing room, the clothes stacked on one arm.

After a couple more outfits, and extraordinary willpower from Kyuubi, the two made it to the checkout counter where Kyuubi forked over his credit card and Itachi got a hard look in his eyes. He politely thanked the lady at the counter and she smiled at him and Kyuubi waving to them as they left. Itachi kept glancing down at the plastic bag he held, then up at the sky then back down before finally he stopped and grabbed Kyuubi by the arm. The redhead stopped and raised his eyebrows, waiting for Itachi to start.

"I plan on repaying you, someday." He said quietly, his head down. "Though, sometimes I think that this debt is too large to recompense."

Kyuubi frowned down at the dark haired man, tilting his chin up with his finger so their eyes met. And locked.

"You owe me nothing, Itachi. Nor do you owe my father or brother anything. Money is _not_ a concern for us." Kyuubi's eyes flicked back and forth between Itachi's, watching as the raven's brows furrowed.

"Not in money. In… I don't know. You saved our lives. You took us in and revived us, _me_, from the brink of certain death, and you gave Sasuke a place to call home again. A friend. A… father and mother." Itachi took in a deep breath and closed his eyes. Kyuubi felt a twinge in his gut, wondering if their home didn't quite feel like home to Itachi. Maybe it never would.

"Itachi, listen to me, and actually _listen_, when I tell you that you. Owe. Us. Nothing." Kyuubi stood up straight once more and latched onto Itachi's wrist, not wanting to have a therapy session in the middle of the mall. He stopped in front of his favorite pretzel place; he was a sucker for cinnamon bites just like Naruto. Itachi looked up in subdued interest, all the elation from earlier seemed to have drained out of him, like he was a leaky pipe.

"Do you want some cinnamon pretzel bites?" Kyuubi asked, but Itachi shook his head. Just as the Uzumaki was about to lecture him again on money, Itachi opened his mouth.

"I actually remember pretzels, from when I was little. Before… Before I was turned into a slave. My favorite is the regular pretzel with cheese." Itachi glanced over at Kyuubi, a small smile shining in his eyes. Kyuubi saluted him, then turned around to order.

Once they had their food in hand, both boys walked over to an empty table towards the end of the food court. Sitting down, Kyuubi popped a cinnamon bite into his mouth and grinned happily. Itachi ripped a chunk off his pretzel and dunked it into the cheese, and nodded towards Kyuubi as he took a bite.

"Did you have fun?" Kyuubi asked, and Itachi nodded, chewing thoughtfully before he answered.

"Yes. I think my favorite part was rocking those outfits, though." The raven grinned devilishly at him over the rim of his pop can before turning his head up to take a long swig. Kyuubi blushed and played with the straw for his lemonade. They both looked up at the same time, their eyes meeting. And they smiled.

oOo

Miles away, a man ran a hand over his sweat soaked face, bringing the whiskey to his mouth to down another giant gulp. He set the glass down with a loud _bang_ and stood up shakily, his jaw protruding slightly as he clenched his teeth and leaned against the wall. Trudging forward slowly, he grabbed a piece of paper, ripped slightly in some places. He trailed his hands over the map, shaking from trying to hold himself up. He grinned slowly, crumbling the paper in his fist.

"I'm coming."

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**AN: I hope you guys liked it :)! Please, review and tell me what you think :D I've missed you guys and all your opinions :P Much love,**

**-IC**


	9. Chapter 9

**AN: I've noticed this has become a pattern; I write then I stop, then I write and spit out two chapters in two days, then I go hit a dry spell, then it just happens all over again. Gawsh. You guys exhaust me. But I exhaust myself, too. ANYWHO! THIS IS VERY IMPORTANT! THERE IS SOME MATURE CONTENT IN HERE (don't get your hopes too high little perverts) AND SOME CUSSING AND LANGUAGE ISSUES. IF YOU ARE AT ALL UNCOMFORTABLE OR NOT HAPPY WITH THIS SORT OF STUFF, I SUGGEST A SKIM. Alright, now that THATS done, I hope you guys enjoy :)!**

**WARNING: Hhehehehehehehehehehhehh this is a legit warning**

**POV: Sasuke**

**Disclaimer: I wouldn't be writing FF if I owned Naruto. Get with it.**

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Sasuke's hair stirred gently on his forehead as a gentle breeze swept over the lawn, ruffling the sleek locks of grass. He was running out of places to build leaf houses. Frowning and turning away from his newly finished house, Sasuke rubbed the back of his head with his palm, considering going inside to grab a drink of water. The weather was warming up quite fast, spring quickly being replaced by sweltering, joyful, flushed-skin summer. Sasuke chewed on his lip before he decided he could wait a little longer. The risk of seeing Naruto at this time of day was too high. He usually came up from the basement at this time of day, seeking human speech and food to shove down his throat before disappearing back down into his hidey-hole. He didn't know exactly how it had happened, but ever since the day Sasuke had told Naruto he didn't have room in his heart for a romance that was bound to get complicated, the air between them had grown colder and colder. He had originally thought that they'd just be friends, ignoring the awkward fire and shocking electricity between them. But apparently Naruto hadn't liked that idea. Instead, the very next day, he had come to breakfast, spoke not one word to Sasuke, and disappeared down into the basement. The temperature between them had grown increasingly lower, and Sasuke was almost sure that if he stuck a thermometer in-between the two, the damned thing would break.

Sasuke stared down at his leaf palace, leaf empire, without really seeing it. He wondered why it was so hard for him to accept new people into his life. Itachi was fine with making friends, rounding them in and keeping them tight to him, and within weeks their bonds would be stronger than steel. But Sasuke had always had a harder time keeping friends, much less acquiring them. It apparently had gotten worse.

Ripping the grass violently from the ground, Sasuke stood up, tossing the unearthed pieces behind him as he strode towards the house. Opening the porch door, he slid silently in, planning on a quick grab 'n go. That was not the case. Instead, when he walked into the kitchen, he saw his brother pressed up against the refrigerator, his hair loose, face flushed. The one pinning him down was none other than Kyuubi, his hair still tied back, but falling apart quickly. His eyes were burning and his chest was pumping up and down in quick bursts, his fingers curled into slight fists on either side of Itachi's head. Neither one looked particularly angry, just completely engrossed in the other. Sasuke felt his face flush a horribly deep shade of red as the thought that they might kiss flickered into his mind. Turning quickly around, he tried to escape, but again failed. He collided head on with a solid, tall body. There was a small _oomf_ of air as the figure lost his balance and fell back against the wall, one hand bracing himself, the other reaching out to catch Sasuke. Again, total failure. Sasuke tumbled forwards, his hands outstretched, trying to find purchase on something. He found it on a warm, white t-shirt clothed chest. Biting his lip hard, Sasuke prayed reverently before he slowly glanced up, his eyes barely open. A shock of wheat-colored blonde hair filled his vision, soon accompanied by a pair of bright, cornflower blue eyes. The two orbs clashed and suddenly the air that had been so cold around them blew up and reheated, filling the air around them with licks of invisible fire. Sasuke's eyes went wide and he stumbled quickly back before Naruto could do anything. Just as quickly as the sparks had exploded between them, they dispersed once again when Naruto wiped the look of amusement off his face and replaced it with a cool, almost, _almost_ kind detachment.

"Sorry, man." He said quickly, his words holding nothing. He sounded like he was trying to recite a poem he didn't know. The expression that covered his mouth could barely pass as a smile, and Sasuke felt anger burn quietly down in the pit of his stomach. The emotion was not foreign to him; he was well acquainted with the feeling of helplessly burning slowly to death from the inside out. He usually had no way to vent it, no way to get rid of it. So it had sat in his stomach until it had become a hard rock that sat there and weighed him down to earth. The same feeling was curling around in tight, compact coils, like the deadly dance of smoke.

"No problem, _man_." Sasuke returned with just enough venom to let on that he was mad, but not enough that he sounded cynical and cruel. Naruto blinked once before his brow furrowed delicately, and he hesitated before he spoke. But Sasuke was already quite done with people for the day, so he turned on his heel and ventured into the kitchen. Kyuubi was no longer pinning his brother, but they were both very close to each other, and long, lingering looks were exchanged multiple times. Sasuke turned his head away and quickly opened the refrigerator, trying hard not to think about what had just happened on the surface. Grabbing a clear water bottle, Sasuke was just about to close the door when he heard the familiar deep timbre of Naruto's rich voice.

"God, guys. Get a room, will ya? I don't wanna walk into the kitchen to the opening for porn. I'm pretty sure Sasuke doesn't want that either, but you never know. Gay guys could be his thing. But brothers would be getting kinda kinky…" Naruto trailed off, his voice holding a teasing tone, not quite nice, not quite rude, but the perfect sound to light the spark for Sasuke's already simmering anger.

Slamming the silver door shut, Sasuke squeezed his water bottle angrily between his fingers in a tight grip, almost breaking it.

"Would you just _shut the hell up?_ You barely talk to me for a week, and now here you are, _teasing_ me, _taunting_ me. I can't fucking believe you. _Gay?_ _Really?_ I didn't think you'd go that low, Naruto, but I guess I don't really know you that well, huh?" Sasuke growled, and Naruto's face was a storm of confusion, that quickly shifted to shock, and finally ended in anger.

"Like you have any room to talk! You're the one who told me you didn't want whatever the _fuck_ that messed up thing was between us! Then you go and seclude yourself, not _giving_ me the opportunity to talk to you. And by the time it finally arose, I was too fuckin pissed to even _look_ at you. And I'm pretty sure that's what you're feeling right now too. I'm pretty sure we're both just _fucking goddamned pissed as bitching fuck you godforsaken stubborn shit!_" Naruto's tan hands clenched, his tendons standing out starkly against his skin.

"_Go jump in a fucking million mile deep hole and drown in a whole shitting sea of giant spiders and die your idiotic ass off a million times! Then go die some more! Then, GO FUCK YOURSELF!" _Sasuke's voice was rough from screaming, but it felt so good to let go of all the energy that had been pent up inside him for days. It just barely registered in his mind that the insults they were flinging at each other were quite childish, and it occurred to him as they finally sunk into his brain that he wanted to laugh.

"You… You… ARHGN!" Naruto grabbed his hair and ground his teeth together, his face bright red, his chest heaving as he tried to regain control of his anger. Sasuke felt the laugh bubble up at the base of his chest and slowly expand outwards, and he tried desperately to keep it in but, no surprise, failed. The quiet kitchen was soon broken by the quiet hiccups of laughter emerging from the raven's lips. Naruto looked up in slightly outraged bewilderment, and this only made Sasuke want to laugh harder. There was a small movement by the kitchen table, and both boys looked over at the same time. Itachi and Kyuubi froze and their eyes widened. Kyuubi quickly exited the door, leaving Itachi in the dust. The older raven sent the redhead an irritated look before he turned big eyes back on the two.

"I'm going to let you two carry on." He said slowly, then took off just like Kyuubi.

Naruto scowled and turned towards Sasuke, who had an uncontrollable grin on his face.

"You think this is _funny_?" Naruto asked, and before Sasuke could answer, he shook his head and stormed out the door.

Sasuke stared at the spot that Naruto had left for a beat or two before he broke down and started laughing again, thinking that maybe he should be more affected by the first real fight he'd ever had with someone outside his family, but he couldn't care less. Without knowing it, Naruto had just given Sasuke a vent, a much needed release, and with it, peace. He had never yelled like that before, never let his true colors show as brightly as he had right there. He hoped that was the breakthrough he needed. He sank to the floor, laughing. He as ecstasy finally died down, he bent his knees and crossed his arms over them, resting his forehead on his forearms. He was still grinning softly, feeling ten times lighter.

oOo

A few hours later, Sasuke sat in the middle of the living room, perched on the carpet, flipping through a book he had found in the manor's library. He had needed Cook's assistance to get there and back, of course, but after Naruto had left and he was alone, he got to thinking that now was a good time as any to pick up where his education had trickled off. He had always had a strong passion for science, even at such a young age, so when he discovered the large and widely vast selection of books dedicated to science; he had nearly exploded with excitement.

Curled up on the fluffy white carpet, Sasuke flipped through pages and pages about forces and gravity, Newton's Laws, and energy before he heard the front door open and looked up. The sunlight momentarily blinded him, so all he heard for a second was a rustling of fabric and soft giggles. Then his vision swam into focus. His fingers stopped dead as he took in the scene in front of him. Naruto held Sakura tightly to him by her ass, his hips pushing up against hers roughly, their mouths interlocked passionately. Sakura broke away to wrap her legs around Naruto's thin waist, twining her fingers, painted a nagging bright pink, through the blonde's hair. Naruto groaned silently, squeezing her cheeks tightly before he stumbled forward, and Sasuke knew without looking where they would be headed next. He didn't bother to turn his head in their direction, instead looking away and trying to block out the sounds by immersing himself in the world of science once more. It became rather difficult when the pair made their way towards the staircase, which was annoyingly close to Sasuke. He could hear every slurp and suck and breathy moan with a sickening clarity. Finally he turned around, glaring, only to find Naruto panting slightly, Sakura unzipping his pants.

"Get a _room_!" Sasuke hissed, and Sakura jumped, her face going the same shade of pink as her hair. Naruto's head whipped up and an annoyed, angry, and embarrassed expression ran across his face. He glared hard at Sasuke before he grabbed Sakura's hand and tumbled up the rest of the stairs, to his room. Sasuke swallowed thickly and turned back towards his book, trying to erase the image of Naruto's face, not staring at him angrily, but twisted up in agonized pleasure. The image wouldn't erase, however, and seemed to burn itself into the back of Sasuke's eyelids. And despite his best attempts to engage his mind once again, Sasuke felt himself getting uncomfortably tight in the crotch of his pants. Letting his head drop into the book with an anguished moan, Sasuke tried to calm himself down to no avail. He hadn't gotten a hard-on in forever. He thought he had lost the ability. Apparently not. Standing up was a bit difficult, considering his situation, but Sasuke managed, feeling a slight twinge of excitement stir low in his stomach. Heat continuously coursed down into the junction between his thighs, and Sasuke felt himself quiver in subdued pleasure. He silently crept up the stairs and disappeared into his room, closing the door quietly behind him. Sasuke pressed him palms against the door to keep from fondling himself, wanting to enjoy every minute of the pleasure to its full extent. He crossed over to the other side of the room, turning out his box fan which supplied him with pleasant white noise that carried him off to sleep night after night. The sound filled the room now, loud enough to at least slightly dim the sounds of pleasure from where he began to position himself on the bed, the farthest away from the door he could get. And if anyone walked by, they would assume he was taking a nap.

Easing himself down on the soft, comforting sheets, Sasuke slowly undid his pants, easing them off his hips. The friction the fabric made as it rubbed up against his erect member was satisfying, and Sasuke bit his lip to keep from whimpering. Once his pants were off, he took a couple breaths and closed his eyes. He knew how to do this; one thing he had managed before his slavery term, and he faintly remembered the searing pleasure coming gave him. He shuddered and kept his eyes shut, wrapping his hand tightly around his hard, hot, meat. He was already slightly dripping pre-cum, the pearly beads smearing as he ran his palm over the tip of his member, eliciting the most amazing pleasure he had felt in a long time. Without meaning to, Sasuke conjured up the image of Naruto giving him these ministrations, and soon that was all he could think of. His breath hitched as he tightened his fingers, squeezing and twisting, imagining Naruto staring up lustily at him the whole time. The vision of Naruto slowly lowering his mouth over Sasuke's weeping organ pushed Sasuke to pump himself faster, pleasure lacing up his arms and curling though his chest and around his neck. He moaned lowly, trying to hold it in, arching off the bed as his breaths became shallow and breathy. Naruto was trailing the tip of his tongue over Sasuke's tip, his blue eyes dark and lustful. For a moment another face appeared behind Sasuke's lids; one with a thick jaw and stubble, no life or humanity in his eyes. But, somehow, magically, Naruto replaced his thoughts before fear could grip him and shake.

Sasuke's eyes smashed together as he dragged his other hand down his stomach, leaving goose bumps, fooling his body into thinking it was Naruto's hand. He imagined Naruto stealthily grabbing Sasuke's hardened sac, squeezing it tightly before rolling it around his fingers before pulling back and tickling him softly. Sasuke whimpered and squeezed himself harder, pulling urgently at his member, needing release. He felt the nostalgic tell-tale tightening in his lower groin, and thrust his hips upward to increase the dizzying friction. The coil tightened and tightened, until finally it snapped brutally, beautifully, and Sasuke milked himself hard, seeing Naruto's tan hand wrapped around his meat, pumping and pumping until Sasuke begged him to stop. A loud moan cut through the noise of the fan, soon followed by smaller, pleasure-induced whimpers. That image rode Sasuke out of the ecstatic euphoria of his orgasm, his hips bucking slightly in an after-effect. Breathing hard, Sasuke closed his eyes and groaned, a relaxed smile slipping onto his face. The small thought that maybe he shouldn't have jacked off to Naruto's face passed through Sasuke's hazy mind, but it flew out just as fast. He would think about his complicated situation later. For now, he just wanted to sleep.

oOo

A drink slammed loudly onto the granite counter top as a heavy-set man slammed his glass down in frustration. He ran his hand over his buzz cut and cursed as he tried to get his mind to actually function. The bartender stared at him warily, wiping clean a small shot glass before he walked over to the slumped figure.

"You ok, man? You need some water?"

He was met with glaring, dark eyes. "Do I look shlike a _pussheh_ to you?" He slurred at him, standing up hastily. The young bartender raised his eyebrows at the man before shrugging, turning away to another drinker. But he paused in confusion when the man threw his hand out, a sloppy but obvious gesture for him to wait. He watched as the drunkard fumbled into his pocket and pulled out a crisp hundred dollar bill. He slid it over the counter towards the younger man, leaning forward.

"You can keep phat, if you give me shome informashion, undershand?" He spoke slowly, but still the bartender had to piece together his words until he finally understood. He nodded quickly, sliding the money into his pocket smoothly, leaning forward too.

"Do you know any, ah, rich blondes around here? A guy, he's probably middle-aged, blue eyes… tall?"

The bartender frowned, desperate to give information to keep the money. "Ah, there are lots of people like that, but the only few I can think of right now are the Haruno's, uh, Uzumaki's, and maybe…" The man fell silent when he saw the man nod dizzily, then he grinned, a slow, terrifying grin, and turned to exit the bar.

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**AN: *cough* WELL, I hope you guys all enjoyed this chapter. I think you might be a little... Conflicted with your responses, because I threw in some rather confusing curve balls at you. Hehe. Please, tell me how you feel, and do NOT feel scared or nervous to drop a suggestion in there; I love seeing you guys involved in the story just as much as I am. With that note, I shall be off to complete homework this has kept me from. Toodles! Chip chip, cherrio!(British accent through the Internet) Much love,**

**-IC**


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